Dominik Kubalik – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 20:32:56 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 22: Ottawa Senators Left Wing Tim Stutzle (18) (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire)

REVIEW: When the Senators spent the summer of 2022 signing Claude Giroux, then 34 years old, and spending three picks, including the 2022 seventh overall, to acquire Alex DeBrincat, it was a clear sign that they hoped to exit the rebuilding phase. What followed though was a 39-35-8 record – a 13-point gain from a year prior, but insufficient for a postseason berth. Part of the issue was Ottawa finished a mediocre 18th in goals per game (3.16) despite adding two elite forwards. Alex DeBrincat’s 27 goals and 66 points in 82 contests was a regression compared to his 41-goal 2021-22 campaign with Chicago, but the bigger problem was a lack of offensive depth. Eight Senators players reached double digits in goals in contrast to 13 with Edmonton. Ottawa was also mediocre defensively, finishing 18th with a 5-on-5 expected goals against of 174.36, and unlike the Islanders, which squeaked into the playoffs with a worse offense and expected goals against, Ottawa didn’t have an elite goaltender masking their defensive woes. Instead, Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg were merely average, which sums up the 2022-23 Senators nicely: Not bad, but not good enough.

What’s Changed? The Senators hope they’ve bolstered their mediocre goaltending by signing Joonas Korpisalo to replace Talbot, who left as a free agent. They also failed to agree to terms with DeBrincat, who was a restricted free agent, so they dealt him to Detroit in exchange for a solid middle-six forward in Dominik Kubalik, defensive prospect Donovan Sebrango and two draft picks. In an attempt to make up for the lost offense, Ottawa inked Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5 million deal.

What would success look like? Ottawa is looking to end its six-year playoff drought, but the competition in the Atlantic Division is intense. A strong year out of Joonas Korpisalo would certainly help, which is possible. He’s not an elite goaltender, but the 29-year-old is solid. A healthy season out of Joshua Norris, who scored 35 goals in 2021-22, but was limited to eight games last year due to a shoulder injury, would also provide Ottawa with a much-needed boost to its offensive depth. Between Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Giroux and Tarasenko, it’s reasonable to believe Ottawa will have two strong lines, but they need enough weapons to fill a decent third unit.

What could go wrong? However, Norris bouncing right back might be too much to hope for. The 24-year-old’s promise is clear, but that 35-goal campaign was also the first time in his career he even reached the 20-goal mark, so he’s far from proven. Meanwhile, Ottawa might get a bit less than Giroux’s 2022-23 finish of 79 points. After all, he’ll turn 36 in January. As far as injury risks go, Ottawa has a big one in elite defenseman Thomas Chabot, who has missed 37 contests over the last two years.

Top Breakout Candidate: One possible solution to Ottawa’s third-line question is Shane Pinto. Playing in his first full campaign, he supplied 20 goals and 35 points in 82 contests last year. Still just 22 years old, Pinto has the potential to start the campaign on the third line and then work himself into a bigger role, especially if Ottawa runs into injury troubles.

Forwards

Brady Tkachuk

Of the 15 forwards who registered over 200 hits last season, no one scored more than Tkachuk’s 35 goals. His 2022-23 season put him in some exclusive company. Alex Ovechkin is the only other player in the NHL’s recorded history to blend that volume of physicality and goal production. Tkachuk’s skillset makes him a unicorn and one of the premier power forwards in the league. Thanks to his willingness to go to the dirty areas of the ice and battle for deflections and loose pucks, Tkachuk has established himself as a shot-generation machine. Of all the qualified skaters who logged over 500 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time last season per NaturalStatTrick, only David Pastrnak averaged more shots per 60 minutes than Tkachuk. Any knocks to Tkachuk’s game are rooted in his defensive contributions and the notion he does not finish as many chances as he should given his shot volume. Considering he scored 35 goals, it may sound weird to read that he does not finish enough, but Tkachuk finished fourth in the league in expected goals (min. 500 5v5 TOI) in 2022-23. His expected goal metrics are always higher than his actual output. One of these years, it feels like if everything breaks right, he has the capacity to put up a monster offensive season. Like many of Ottawa’s other young players, Tkachuk’s poor defensive metrics can partially be explained as a product of the team’s personnel and defensive system. With a vastly improved defensive corps and a greater commitment to puck support as a five-man unit, Tkachuk’s metrics should continue to improve.

Tim Stützle

When the Senators invested in Tim Stützle, signing him to an eight-year contract worth an AAV of $8.35, they gambled on the German’s pedigree and offensive upside. His transition from the wing to centre during his sophomore year helped spark his ability to impact the game on both sides of the puck. In 2022-23, he rewarded the Senators with their long-term investment. He continued to take marked steps in his development offensively and defensively. He would finish the season leading the Senators in scoring with 39 goals and 90 points in 78 games. He became the third centre in franchise history to eclipse that point threshold but holds the distinction of being the youngest to do it at just 21 years of age. The departures of Connor Brown and Alex Formenton represented a significant loss to the Senators’ penalty killing units and Stützle was one of the forwards called upon to fill the void. It speaks to D.J. Smith’s growing confidence in him. Stützle tied for the team lead in shorthanded goals with three and averaged 1:16 of shorthanded ice time per game. Besides the natural growth of a young player, the jump in production can be explained by the quality of linemates. After spending most of the previous season playing predominantly with Alex Formenton and Connor Brown, centring Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux represented a significant improvement. As the team continues to improve around him, the hope is that his offensive production and defensive metrics will continue to improve.

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux has only played one season for the Senators, but he already has leapt to the top of the list as the best free agent signing in franchise history. In his return home, the 35-year-old wowed fans by recording 35 goals and 79 points while playing in every single one of the Senators’ 82 games. Amazingly, the veteran’s 35 goals established a new personal regular season high. It was the first time Giroux had cracked the 30-goal mark since the 2017-18 season. This boost in production can be chalked up to the chemistry he developed alongside Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle. This trio generated more than 55 percent of the goals (58.49 GF%), shots (56.82 CF%), shots on goal (55.37) and expected goals (59.82 xGF%) at five-on-five per Evolving-Hockey. Playing predominantly as the right winger on this line Giroux had one of the best isolated defensive impacts on the team per Hockeyviz. His ability to impact the game at both ends of the ice was a huge addition to the Senators’ top six. In particular, his strength in the faceoff circle allowed his line to overcome Stützle’s struggles at the dot. Of the players who took more than 300 draws last season, Stützle’s 41.6 percent success rate was the eighth-worst mark in the league. Giroux insulated Stützle’s ineffectiveness with the league’s 10th-best mark at 58.3 percent.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Following the well-publicized departure of last season’s prize acquisition, Alex DeBrincat, the Senators shored up their top six scoring by inking Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year contract worth $5 million. The signing of the four-time All-Star and 2019 Stanley Cup champion generated headlines. Tarasenko is a recognizable talent who can still be a productive NHL player. In 69 games split between the Blues and Rangers last season, Tarasenko recorded 18 goals and 50 points. It was a step down in production for the six-time 30-goal scorer, but he represented the best available offensive talent that remained on the free agent market. There is a chance that Tarasenko’s waning production is part of an age-related decline, but the good news is that he is just one season removed from the second-best five-on-five shooting percentage of his career (14.8 per Evolving-Hockey). Last season’s (9.7) was the second-worst. A motivated Tarasenko should be extremely valuable to the Senators. If he can get back closer to his career norms, he will have a chance to cash in on the open market next summer. If his production continues to decline, the Senators will still need his offence to outweigh his defensive contributions. Tarasenko’s become a liability on the defensive side of the puck. There is also the question of fit. As a winger who prefers playing his off-side, the addition of Tarasenko to the right wing could necessitate moving one of Claude Giroux or Drake Batherson to their off-side.

Josh Norris

On the heels of a sophomore season in which he exploded for 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games, centre Josh Norris cashed in by signing an eight-year pact carrying an AAV of $7.95 million. The contract represented a significant commitment to the team’s second-line centre and set a relatively high standard for Norris to live up to. Last season, he never got the chance. A devastating shoulder injury curtailed his season and limited him to eight games. So much of Ottawa’s postseason aspirations hinge on Norris’ recovery and his ability to resemble the player that he was pre-injury. Even when healthy, it was fair to believe that Norris would experience some natural regression in his shooting percentage (20.3 in 2021-22). Fortunately, he has historically been a strong shooter throughout his career, so that regression should not be too severe - provided that Norris’ recovery does not inhibit his ability to shoot the puck. Power play usage will be another thing to monitor. Of the forwards who logged over 100 minutes of power play ice time in 2021-22 per NaturalStatTrick, only two forwards averaged a higher goals per 60 minutes of ice time rate than Norris – Chris Kreider and Leon Draisaitl. Norris should continue to play the right side on the first power play unit, but the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko, who also works from that spot, could impact those minutes.

Drake Batherson

On the surface, it is easy to look at Drake Batherson’s numbers and arrive at the conclusion that he had a down year. Scoring 22 goals and tallying 62 points in 82 games is not a terrible season by any measure, but that minus-35 was unsightly. Considering Batherson put up 17 goals in each of the two previous seasons while playing in what was essentially half a season’s worth of games, expectations for him were high. After scoring on more than 15 percent of his shots in each of his previous two campaigns, Batherson’s shooting percentage was almost halved to 8.8 percent last season. Although NaturalStatTrick’s data shows that Batherson’s goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time dropped from 1.08 to 0.37 last season, there are a number of reasons to believe that he can reach another level. He shot the puck more than he ever had in his career. His average of 8.87 shots per 60 of five-on-five ice time per NaturalStatTrick represented a career-high. Last season, only Buffalo’s Tage Thompson (15) hit more posts than Batherson. Provided he can stay healthy and preserve that kind of shot volume, better luck and a regression to the mean in terms of his shooting percentage should allow Batherson to enjoy a career season in 2023-24.

Shane Pinto

For the first time since Brady Tkachuk scored 22 goals during the 2018-19 season, Shane Pinto became the eighth rooking in franchise history to score 20 or more goals in his rookie campaign – joining Tkachuk, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Eaves, Daniel Alfredsson, Alexandre Daigle and Alexei Yashin. Pinto started the 2022-23 season strong, scoring six goals in his first eight games. But, when Josh Norris was felled by a shoulder injury, Pinto moved up the depth chart and no longer received the luxury of being insulated. Despite more challenging assignments and responsibilities, the Senators still outshot (51.4 CF%) and created a higher percentage of expected goals (50.7 xGF%) when Pinto was on the ice at five-on-five. With the return of Norris, Pinto will once again be relegated to the third line and potentially easier matchups. For an organization that struggled to generate offence from its third and fourth lines, a returning Pinto armed with the confidence of knowing he can pot 20 goals will be vital to this team’s push for the postseason. One of the things to keep an eye on with Pinto this season will be his work on the penalty kill. Following the departures of Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell, and Tyler Motte, shorthanded minutes will need to be reallocated. One of the benefactors of those responsibilities should be Pinto.

Dominik Kubalik

As the lone NHL piece that was returned to the Senators in this offseason’s Alex DeBrincat trade, Dominik Kubalik is a reasonably priced player who offers the Senators affordable depth scoring. He is in the last year of a two-year deal carrying an AAV of $2.5 million. In 81 games with the Red Wings last season, he scored 20 goals and 45 points. Brady Tkachuk is entrenched as the team’s first-line left winger, but beyond that, the second line could be open. If Vladimir Tarasenko plays on his preferred off-side, it could necessitate Giroux or Batherson moving to their off-side to accommodate him. The alternative is Kubalik because of his natural left-shot handedness. If he does, there is a chance for Kubalik to flourish. He finished third on the Red Wings in individual expected goals for per 60 (0.81 ixG/60) and individual scoring chances per 60 (7.71 iSCF/60) per NaturalStatTrick. He thrived playing alongside Dylan Larkin and David Perron. Away from Detroit’s top talent, the underlying numbers cratered. Something to keep an eye on is if Kubalik winds up on a line with Tarasenko. The Senators’ forward group is not exactly renowned for its defensive aptitude and their two biggest additions in Kubalik and Tarasenko are not going to bolster that weakness. They could exacerbate it.

Mathieu Joseph

It is never ideal to be referenced in the same breath as the infamous Bill Muckalt, but Mathieu Joseph was the only Senator forward to log more than 500 minutes of ice time who failed to score a five-on-five goal in 2022-23. According to NaturalStatTrick’s data, of the 382 forwards who logged more than 500 minutes of five-on-five ice time, only two forwards failed to score one goal last season: Montreal’s Jake Evans and Joseph. It was a precipitous drop in offence. Following his trade to the Senators at last year’s trade deadline, Joseph averaged 3.89 points per 60 minutes of ice time. Being an 11-game sample, it was naive to believe that this brief stretch was truly representative of his offensive upside. Last season’s output of three goals and 15 points was incredibly disappointing for Sens management after they locked him up to a three-year contract worth a $2.9 million AAV. Without any even-strength production out of Joseph, it really hurts the Senators’ secondary scoring. Hopefully, the return of Shane Pinto to the third line will boost Joseph’s productivity. Fortunately for the Senators, while Joseph struggled to produce offensively, he is still a competent defensive forward and a valuable contributor on the penalty kill that ranked in the top half of the league last season.

Defence

Thomas Chabot

The 2022-23 season was a polarizing one that showcased the best and worst of Thomas Chabot. Often last season, he would take heat for his defensive play and lapses. The numbers backed it up. According to Evolving-Hockey’s Total Defence (DEF) metric that combines the even strength and shorthanded contributions to arrive at a single number for defensive value created, 2022-23 was tied for being the worst defensive season of his career. The good news is that the site’s Total Offence (OFF) metric, which combines even strength and power play contributions measured 2022-23 as being his best offensive year – surpassing his impressive 2018-19 season in which he scored 14 goals and 55 points. One of the things that hurt Chabot last year is that he logged more than 30 minutes of ice time with eight defensive partners last season – including 257 with an ineffective Nikita Zaitsev, one of the least valuable defencemen in the league. Even with poor defensive partners and a lack of continuity, Chabot was rated as the team’s most valuable player according to according to Evolving-Hockey’s ‘wins above replacement’ (WAR) and ‘goals above replacement’ (GAR) metrics. It speaks to his importance in Ottawa’s puck movement and transition game. A full season alongside Jakob Chychrun will inevitably make things easier for Chabot and improve his numbers, but the Senators will need him to be more reliable for the team to take a step forward.

Jakob Chychrun

It took time, but the Senators finally addressed their need for a top-four defenceman by acquiring Jakob Chychrun at the 2023 trade deadline. A lower-body injury limited Chychrun to 12 games with Ottawa, but in those games, he averaged 21 minutes of ice time scoring two goals and adding three assists. Most of his minutes were spent playing with Travis Hamonic to some underwhelming 5-on-5 shot and goal metrics. When they were on the ice together, the Senators generated 48.9 percent of the goals (GF%), 40 percent of the expected goals (xGF%), 43.8 percent of the shots (CF%) and 44.2 percent of the shots on goal per Evolving-Hockey. Fortunately, Chychrun is expected to open the season playing alongside Thomas Chabot. In a very small sample size of 35 minutes of five-on-five ice time, the duo was exceptional – generating approximately 60 percent of the shots and expected goals. A wrinkle is that Ottawa’s three most talented defencemen are all natural left shots. Chychrun has experience playing his off-side, so that mitigates most of the concern, but he has missed 152 games across his seven seasons in the league. With so much invested in Chychrun being the solution to shore the blue line, if he needs to play his natural side or continues to be plagued by injuries, it could really hamper the team’s postseason aspirations.

Jake Sanderson

When Jake Sanderson was selected with the fifth overall selection in 2020, it created some ripples and consternation. Was he the best available defenceman? Should the Senators have targeted another highly skilled forward? Sanderson’s rookie campaign erased any concerns about his selection. He contributed four goals and 32 points in 77 games last season. Only Owen Power recorded more points as a rookie defenceman than Sanderson. Where he thrived was on the defensive side of the puck. His elite skating ability, gap control and active stick made life frustrating for attacking forwards. Perhaps the most flattering thing that you can say about Sanderson’s play last season is that he helped land veteran Travis Hamonic a new two-year contract. The pair logged over 500 minutes of five-on-five ice time together and the results were average. When this pairing was on the ice, the Senators generated as many shots and expected goals as the opposition (50.5 CF%, 49.5 xGF%). They did however give up a greater percentage of actual goals (42.9 GF%), but that can be attributed in part to bad luck. Sanderson is expected to play with Artem Zub this season. In 239 five-on-five minutes together, the Senators generated more of the shots (52.7 SF%) and expected goals (53.3 xGF%). Most impressively, the team suppressed a lot more shots when this pairing was together. Put in contrast with the Sanderson/Hamonic pairing which allowed 33.6 shots per 60 minutes of five-on-five, the Sanderson/Zub pairing allowed 24.9.

Artem Zub

Since joining the Senators from SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL in 2020, Artem Zub has developed a steadfast reputation for being the Senators’ best defensive defenceman. It is that reputation that earned the 27-year-old a four-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.6 million. And, it is a reputation that is backed up by the data. Using HockeyViz’s data that measures a player’s isolated offensive and defensive impacts, no Senators defenceman had a more significant defensive impact than Zub. Evolving-Hockey’s total defence metric (DEF) had Zub ranked second on the team behind Erik Brannstrom, but injuries limited Zub to 53 games last season - robbing him of the chance to accrue more value. Historically, Zub has always been a player who makes those around him better and in 2023-24, he will be tasked with trying to get more performance and development out of sophomore Jake Sanderson. Considering how well Sanderson fared in his first season playing meaningful minutes carrying Travis Hamonic, the likelihood of Sanderson helping push Zub to a career year feels very real.

Goaltending

Joonas Korpisalo

The rebuilding Ottawa Senators have made it clear in the last few years – goaltenders who are moving on from old teams have a place with the Atlantic Division underdogs, and there’s plenty of time in their rebuild window to be patient with anyone needing a little extra time to get their game back on track. For former Columbus Blue Jackets tandem starter Joonas Korpisalo, it’s the perfect place – out of the public eye, and with a team that’s been slowly but surely turning things around – to prove that he still has an NHL-capable game and establish himself as a number one outside of the free-falling Blue Jackets.

Korpisalo stylistically looked like the less reliable option in Columbus, with a game that relies almost too much on flat angles and post coverage in a way that opened up holes and made him easy to predict. But while Elvis Merzlikins had the flashier game, Korpisalo was the team’s better option last year – and he showed during a brief stint post-trade deadline with the Los Angeles Kings that he might be predictable, but he’s reliable. He struggles at times with rebounds, but his tracking is effective – and for the Senators, the most important thing is that he’s both still relatively young (he’s only 29) and he has a fairly good track record of staying healthy. After multiple years of bad injury luck, the Senators should count it as a win if Korpisalo is even league average while maintaining his reputation as a goaltender who won’t go down for most of the year.

Projected starts: 45-50

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Key trade deadline moves with fantasy impact

Scott Cullen — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 23:17:52 +0000

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: New York Rangers Left Wing Artemi Panarin (10) and New York Rangers Right Wing Patrick Kane (88) talk during the National Hockey League game between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers on March 2, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/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 brought a flurry of trades even before Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline and then not so much on deadline day. Nevertheless, here is a look at the potential impact of the most significant moves, including Patrick Kane, Timo Meier, Jakob Chychrun, Shayne Gostisbehere, Tyler Bertuzzi and many more.

#1 When the New York Rangers traded for Vladimir Tarasenko, it looked like Patrick Kane might not get his wish to end up on Broadway. Kane re-ignited trade interest by putting up 10 points (7 G, 3 A) in his last four games with the Blackhawks and he should be productive in New York, where he will have a stronger supporting cast and is re-united with former Blackhawks linemate Artemi Panarin. Overall, this probably improves Kane’s value down the stretch but his strong finish in Chicago ensures that he won’t be any kind of buy-low bargain for fantasy managers.

#2 A shot generating beast, Timo Meier was acquired by the New Jersey Devils from the San Jose Sharks and while he is recovering from an upper-body injury, there is an excellent opportunity awaiting him with the Devils. Whether he ends up with either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes as his center, Meier is going to be in position to keep producing at an elite level. He had 31 goals in 57 games with San Jose, averaging a career-high 4.47 shots on goal per game. As for the Sharks, they will offer a bigger role for Fabian Zetterlund, who had 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 46 games for New Jersey and Andreas Johnsson, who has been stuck in the minors for most of the season and had 30 points (9 G, 21 A) in 36 AHL games, but they would only hold appeal in the deepest of leagues.

#3 The Ottawa Senators landed one of the most sought-after defensemen with the addition of Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes. Chychrun has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career but has also been very productive when he is on the ice. Since 2018-2019, among defensemen that have played at least 200 games, Chychrun ranks sixth with 0.19 goals per game (49 goals in 256 games) and seventh with 2.73 shots on goal per game. The question is whether Chychrun has a chance to supplant Thomas Chabot on Ottawa’s top power play unit. In Arizona, Juuso Valimaki is set to take over as the full-time quarterback on the Coyotes power play. He has 10 assists, including five with the man advantage, in the past 11 games.

#4 One of the reasons that Valimaki is the new No. 1 option on the Arizona blueline is that, in addition to trading Chychrun, the Coyotes dealt puck-moving defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere to Carolina. Gostisbehere will get regular power play time with the Hurricanes and given Carolina’s five-on-five dominance, he should see an uptick in production at even strength, too. The Hurricanes also acquired right winger Jesse Puljujarvi from Edmonton. While Puljujarvi is probably more of a long-term project, who arrives with 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in 58 games, he did score 29 goals in 120 games over the previous two seasons. He has been a strong play-driving winger, which fits in Carolina, but Puljujarvi may also have some untapped offensive potential, too.

#5 With long-term injuries hitting wingers Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, the Boston Bruins wasted no time in dealing for Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. Bertuzzi was an attractive commodity on the trade market even though he had just 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in 29 games for Detroit. He was scoring on a career-low 6.5% of his shots, with a 7.8% on-ice shooting percentage, so he is probably due for some positive regression when it comes to his percentages. With Bertuzzi departing Detroit, Dominik Kubalik moved back up to the Wings’ top line.

#6 Power forward Nino Niederreiter landed with the Winnipeg Jets after scoring 28 points (18 G, 10 A) in 56 games for the Nashville Predators. Niederreiter is a six-time 20-goal scorer and should have a good opportunity to produce down the stretch for Winnipeg. He played more than 18 minutes in his first game for the Jets, something Niederreiter did in 11 of 56 games for the Predators. While Nashville has made several changes, one of the more notable moves was to call John Leonard up from the AHL, where he had 32 points (11 G, 21 A) in 52 games for Milwaukee. Leonard scored in his first game for the Preds, skating on a line with Cody Glass and Matt Duchene.

#7 After scoring 24 goals as a rookie last season, Tanner Jeannot was snakebit for most of this season in Nashville, scoring just five goals and 14 points in 56 games. He also had 213 hits and can drop the gloves, if need be, so he can have an impact without scoring, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will try to rekindle Jeannot’s touch around the net. He is skating on the third line with Ross Colton and Nick Paul, a line that should be tough to play against. With Jeannot gone, Cole Smith has joined Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin on Nashville’s checking line.

#8 One more deal for Nashville, as they sent Mikael Granlund to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Granlund had 36 points (9 G, 27 A) in 58 games for the Preds, and has three seasons in his career with more than 60 points, so he has the skill to be a productive contributor. At the same time, it is not like he is stepping into a big role with the Penguins. In his first game for Pittsburgh, Granlund played mostly with Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen, which is not the best spot for putting up points. Granlund’s departure from Nashville does open up room for a scoring winger and recently called up right winger Philip Tomasino has a chance to take advantage of that situation. Tomasino had 32 points (12 G, 20 A) in 38 AHL games before getting called up and has five points (1 G, 4 A) in nine games since his promotion.

#9 The Vancouver Canucks made one trade with an eye to the future and one that is more geared to the present. First, they sent checking winger William Lockwood to the New York Rangers for Vitali Kravtsov, a 23-year-old winger who had fallen out of favor with the Blueshirts after managing six points (3 G, 3 A) in 28 games. Kravtsov might have some long-term upside but is not likely to offer fantasy value this season. Vancouver’s other major deal involved the addition of Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings. Hronek is a 25-year-old right shot defenseman who has already tied his career high with 38 points (9 G, 29 A) in 60 games. However, 16 of those 38 points have come on the power play and it would seem unlikely that Hronek would get first unit power play time ahead of Quinn Hughes in Vancouver. Hronek’s departure does open up more of an opportunity on the power play for Detroit’s sophomore blueliner Moritz Seider, who started slowly, but has 18 points (2 G, 16 A) in his past 23 games.

#10 The St. Louis Blues continued to sell off veteran talent, dealing versatile forward Ivan Barbashev to the Vegas Golden Knights. Barbashev had a career-high 60 points in 2021-2022 and is not likely to get to that level again, but had 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 59 games for St. Louis before the trade. Barbashev is getting an excellent opportunity in Vegas, skating on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault, so Barbashev is worth tracking in his new location. St. Louis has overhauled a lot of their forward group, but waiver pickup Kasperi Kapanen is looking at a better role than he had in Pittsburgh. Kapanen had 20 points (7 G, 13 A) in 43 games for the Penguins, but was playing just 12 minutes per game. He will play more than that in St. Louis and is getting a look alongside Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich.

The Blues picked up a winger desperately in need of a fresh start. Jakub Vrana was traded from Detroit to St. Louis and the 27-year-old winger spent some time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program this season. He had just two points (1 G, 1 A) in five games for the Red Wings as well as 11 points (6 G, 5 A) in 17 AHL games. However, when he was not injured or otherwise out of the lineup Vrana did score 22 goals in 42 games with Detroit, so there is obvious upside for a team like St. Louis, that is not looking for a full rebuild, but a quick turnaround instead. Tread cautiously with adding Vrana for this season but see what kind of opportunity he gets with the Blues and expect that he will have sleeper value next season.

#11 The Edmonton Oilers bolstered their roster with the additions of defenseman Mattias Ekholm from Nashville and center Nick Bjugstad from Arizona. Ekholm is a defensive standout, but is a capable puck mover, too, and has recorded more than 30 points in five different NHL seasons. Tyson Barrie went to Nashville in the Ekholm deal and going from Edmonton’s power play to Nashville’s power play is going to be a shock to the system. Edmonton has scored 12.50 goals per 60 during five-on-four play, easily the best in the league, while Nashville has scored 6.34 goals per 60, ranking 24^th. Barrie scored 28 of his 43 points with the man advantage and will be replaced on the Oilers power play by Evan Bouchard, who has been able to generate points at evens, but has 14 of his 70 career points on the power play. Since the Oilers’ power play is driven more by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Bouchard should benefit from the new role. Bjugstad had 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games for Arizona, but he is likely to fill a bottom six role with the Oilers, so should not bring much fantasy value.

#12 The Los Angeles Kings, feeling like contenders, upgraded their defense and goaltending in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, acquiring blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov and netminder Joonas Korpisalo, while sending goalie Jonathan Quick to Columbus. Gavrikov tallied a career-high 33 points last season but has just 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in 52 games this season, so he does not offer much fantasy appeal. Korpisalo, however, is looking at the opportunity to start for a team that is headed to the playoffs. Over the course of his career, Korpisalo has mostly been a below average goaltender, but he had a .919 save percentage in his last 17 games for Columbus and that is good enough for him to count as an upgrade for a Kings team that needed AHL call-up Pheonix Copley to save their season. Quick was reportedly not happy about the deal to Columbus and was then flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights. With Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit injured, Vegas could use someone to back up behind Adin Hill. Quick had a .876 save percentage in 31 games for the Kings, which would be a career-low mark for the 37-year-old goaltender. All of this is to say that Quick does not offer much for fantasy managers at this stage of his career.

#13 The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their active ways, dealing defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals for Erik Gustafsson and a first-round pick. Sandin has a chance to play a substantial role in Washington for the rest of this season and beyond. With John Carlson injured, and Gustafsson heading to Toronto, Sandin is looking at a prime situation in which he can quarterback Washington’s first power play unit. Gustafsson, who had scored 11 of his 38 points with Washington while on the man advantage, is tied for 15^th among defensemen with 27 even-strength points. However, Toronto’s blueline looks awfully crowded so, barring a sudden change, Gustafsson is likely to fall into a depth role, virtually eliminating his fantasy appeal. Toronto also added defensemen Jake McCabe and Luke Schenn, as well as center Sam Lafferty, any of whom might help Toronto’s plans to add grit for the postseason, but none of them look like fantasy contributors.

#14 The Dallas Stars acquired Evgeni Dadonov from the Montreal Canadiens, sending Denis Gurianov the other way. The Stars also brought in center Max Domi from the Chicago Blackhawks. Dadonov is a skilled veteran winger who had a shooting percentage of 5.6% and on-ice shooting percentage of 6.6% for the Habs, both of which are likely to get a natural lift – he’s due! Dadonov has three points (1 G, 2 A) and eight shots on goal in three games for the Stars, skating on a line with Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston. Gurianov had just two goals in 43 games for Dallas, but he scored 20 goals in 2019-2020, so there is some upside there and the Habs have the time to draw it out of him. Gurianov scored a goal in his second game for Montreal and played more than 17 minutes in his first two games for the Canadiens, a threshold he had not hit this season in Dallas. Domi wrapped up his tenure with the Blackhawks by scoring 14 points (4 G, 10 A) with 29 shots on goal in his last eight games. He has 49 points, his most in a season since scoring 72 points in 2018-2019. He will be in more of a supporting role with Dallas, so while he may contribute in Dallas, his fantasy value has probably peaked already. With Domi gone, 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel has been promoted from the AHL, where he had 46 points (17 G, 29 A) in 51 games for Rockford. Reichel has stepped into Domi’s spot, centering Chicago’s top line between Andreas Athanasiou and Philipp Kurashev.

#15 The Minnesota Wild made some modest deals to improve their forward depth before making bigger deals at the deadine. First, they added Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Marcus Johansson from the Washington Capitals. Nyquist is injured, but should be healthy by the time the playoffs roll around and he is a competent scoring middle six winger. Johansson could have a little fantasy sleeper value. He had 28 points (13 G, 15 A) in 60 games for Washington, but started his second stint with the Wild by playing more than 16 minutes while skating on a line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy.

The Wild then added defenseman John Klingberg from Anaheim, where he had 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 50 games, and just going to a better team ought to help Klingberg’s production. Will he step into the Wild’s top power play unit? The Wild rank 10^th with 8.18 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, but rookie defenseman Calen Addison is the top-scoring power play defenseman for the Wild and he has been a healthy scratch recently.

Minnesota also shipped winger Jordan Greenway to Buffalo, but he had just seven points (2 G, 5 A) in 45 games. Greenway produced a career-high 32 points (6 G, 26 A) in 56 games in 2020-2021, but has typically not scored enough to matter for fantasy purposes. The Wild replaced Greenway on the roster with Oskar Sundqvist, who had 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in 52 games for Detroit. Of all these additions by the Wild, Klingberg is the only one with widespread fantasy appeal.

#16 Although he played just 13 minutes per game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, lanky winger Pierre Engvall could have a better situation waiting for him with the New York Islanders, at least in the short term. With injuries up front, the Isles have Engvall starting out with Anders Lee and Bo Horvat on the top line. It’s worth giving him a look. In 21 games this season in which Engvall played more than 14 minutes, he contributed seven goals and four assists.

#17 With the deals covered, there are still some players that are heating up and worth adding, starting with the Devils’ Dawson Mercer. The second year forward has scored a goal in seven straight games, putting up 14 points (9 G, 5 A) with 22 shots on goal. He has a good thing going on a line with Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar.

#18 Carolina’s second year right winger Seth Jarvis has returned to the top line, alongside Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. He has seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past six games and his increased shot rate makes it easier to buy him as a scoring threat down the stretch.

#19 Trying to recapture last season’s magic, when Ryan Hartman had a career high 34 goals and 65 points the Minnesota Wild have re-united Hartman with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on the top line. Hartman has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games.

#20 Scoring Buffalo’s only goal in Thursday’s 7-1 loss at Boston, Casey Mittelstadt is on a tear, with 10 points (3 G, 7 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past 10 games. That shot rate is concerning when it comes to sustaining his offensive production, but Mittelstadt is up to a career high 38 points (10 G, 28 A) in 60 games and that warrants consideration in deeper leagues.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Trade market heating up – Players with increasing value

Scott Cullen — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:43:06 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 05: New York Rangers center Filip Chytil (72) tracks the play during the New York Rangers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on January 05, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, the Rangers dive into the trade market and the St. Louis Blues might just be getting started as sellers. Players with increasing value include Filip Chytil, Ondrej Palat, Blake Coleman, Kyle Palmieri, and more.

#1 The Rangers acquired right winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues, and the veteran has 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 38 games, but has failed to record a point in four games since returning from a broken hand that kept him out of the lineup for more than three weeks. Moving to the Rangers ought to give Tarasenko a chance to play with Artemi Panarin, which is a plus, and Tarasenko is already due for some positive shooting percentage regression – he has a 9.7% shooting percentage, and he has never had a season in which he played more than 25 games and finished with a shooting percentage below 10.0%.

#2 Heading back to St. Louis, winger Sammy Blais did not really work out in New York, managing zero goals and nine assists in 54 games going back to last season. Blais has some fantasy sleeper appeal, especially in banger leagues, because the Blues are likely to give him more playing time than he was getting with the Rangers and Blais is a prolific hitter, averaging more than three hits per game for his career.

#3 With Tarasenko departing, the immediate beneficiary in St. Louis would seem to be winger Jake Neighbours, the 20-year-old rookie who is in the AHL, but he has contributed eight points (4 G, 4 A) in 27 games and is poised to play a bigger role down the stretch if the Blues are going to embark on a serious rebuild by dealing their veterans with expiring deals. If the Blues are going into overhauling their roster, Ryan O’Reilly and Ivan Barbashev will both have plenty of appeal on the trade market, and they have veteran defensemen on long-term deals – Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy – and it would not be a shock to see the Blues try to move one of them as well.

#4 A first-round pick of the Rangers in 2017, Filip Chytil is having a breakthrough season. He has tallied seven goals during a five-game goal-scoring streak, giving him career highs of 19 goals and 32 points in 43 games. Chytil is scoring on 20.2% of his shots, after scoring on 8.8% of his shots in 253 games prior to this season, so that shooting percentage is due to fall, but he is giving the Rangers a legitimate secondary scoring option.

#5 The New Jersey Devils are going to be without center Jack Hughes on a week-to-week basis due to an upper-body injury. That is a big absence from the lineup as Hughes put up 28 goals and 46 points in his last 30 games before the All-Star break. With Hughes out, Nico Hischier, Erik Haula, Dawson Mercer, and Michael McLeod fill out the middle of the ice for New Jersey and Ondrej Palat moved onto the No. 1 power play unit in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Seattle. Palat has nine points (3 G, 6 A) in his past nine games.

#6 Scoring Calgary’s only goal in Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Detroit, Blake Coleman has forced his way into fantasy relevance. In his past 11 games, he has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and 42 shots on goal. He is not hitting as much as he has in previous seasons, but Coleman’s elevated shot rate still gives him value across multiple categories.

#7 The production might be of the empty calorie variety for an Anaheim Ducks team that is nowhere close to competitive, but Frank Vatrano is at his volume-shooting best in recent games. In his past five games, Vatrano has seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 25 shots on goal, and anyone who is getting shots like that becomes interesting for fantasy managers. Vatrano has only scored on 7.8% of his shots this season, which would be the lowest mark of his career, so he is likely due for more good fortune around the net.

#8 Veteran winger Kyle Palmieri has not been as productive with the Islanders as he was during his prime in New Jersey, but he could have some sleeper value for the stretch run. He has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past seven games, while averaging more than 17 minutes per game. Palmieri also has 47 hits in 28 games, so that makes him a more viable deep league option.

#9 It has been anything but a smooth path for 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, who has a modest 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 50 games in his third NHL season. He was even a healthy scratch earlier in the season, but with the Rangers reuniting Lafreniere with Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, they may have a quality secondary scoring line. Lafreniere has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past six games. That counts as his most points in any six-game segment of the season and his most shots in a six-game stretch since October.

#10 Vegas Golden Knights right winger Phil Kessel is showing signs of life on their recent stretch of road games, putting up five points (3 G, 2 A) and 18 shots on goal in six straight games away from T-Mobile Arena. Kessel is clearly on the downside of his career, but could still help in a complementary role, and the Golden Knights need all hands on-deck now that captain Mark Stone is out for the rest of the season due to back surgery.

#11 San Jose Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov has been a reluctant shooter, but he is making his mark in a scoring role. In the past 16 games, he has accumulated 12 points (4 G, 8 A) and 24 shots on goal. That shot rate is not the most encouraging sign, but he is playing big minutes – 20 minutes or more in six of his past 18 games. After struggling to gain footing with Toronto, the 28-year-old has made the most of his opportunity in San Jose.

#12 Most of the time, in 20 Fantasy Points, the focus is on players that could provide more value in the future. There are a few players to consider this week that have declining value. First up is Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen, who has two points (1 G, 1 A) with 14 shots on goal in his past seven games. Anyone getting a chance to play alongside Nathan MacKinnon has value, of course, but if Lehkonen’s production slows down, it becomes easier for the Avs to replace him in that spot.

#13 Seattle Kraken rookie center Matty Beniers is considered the clear front-runner in the Calder Trophy race for top rookie, but he has hit a rough patch, going without a point and managing 10 shots on goal in his past seven games. Beniers still leads all rookies with 17 goals and 36 points, but the longer this slump goes, the more opportunity there will be for challengers like Cole Perfetti and Mason McTavish, who are seven and eight points behind, respectively, to catch up.

#14 Surprisingly effective early in the season for the Detroit Red Wings, winger Dominik Kubalik had 25 points (10 G, 15 A) while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time in 25 games. In the two months since then, Kubalik has nine points (4 G, 5 A) in 24 games and is playing less than 14 minutes per game. Sure, the Red Wings are getting healthier up front, which makes it more difficult to maintain that ice time, but the crash in production did not have to be quite so dramatic.

#15 Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson has often looked overwhelmed in recent seasons. It’s understandable, as the Ducks allow the highest rate of shots against in the league. He has turned in a respectable .906 save percentage since the holiday break, but the workload is getting outrageous. In those 13 games, he has faced 40 or more shots six times, and landed on 39 shots against in two more games. When it comes to fantasy value, Gibson has the potential to provide huge value because of how many shots he faces, but the downside of giving up five or six goals is too much, especially because it means that he is not likely to accumulate wins.

#17 With Cam Talbot injured, Anton Forsberg is getting more reps in goal for the Ottawa Senators. He has won four straight games and his .905 save percentage in 27 games is just a little below league average. The wins are a little easier to come by in Ottawa, at least relative to other non-playoff teams, so if Forsberg is getting regular starts, he becomes a viable option, especially in deeper fantasy leagues.

#18 Considering that Jacob Markstrom was a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy last season, it did not seem like a goalie controversy was going to be part of this season for the Calgary Flames, but it does appear to be trending in that direction. Markstrom has a .892 save percentage, which would be the lowest of his career for a season in which he played at least 20 games. Meanwhile, Daniel Vladar has a .903 save percentage in 20 appearances, which is okay, enough to get him more starts while Markstrom is struggling. Maybe the real question is whether the Flames would consider calling up Dustin Wolf from the AHL. The 21-year-old has a .928 save percentage in 34 games for the Calgary Wranglers this season, after a .924 mark in 47 AHL games last season.

#19 Since the holiday break, the Florida Panthers have the most productive power play, scoring 12.74 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. That comes in just ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (12.57), who have had the best power play in the league by a substantial margin. With the Panthers burying their power play chances, Matthew Tkachuk is tied for the lead in five-on-four scoring since the holiday break with 13 points in 19 games. Connor McDavid has 13 five-on-four points in 17 games. Other Panthers boosting their power play point totals in that time: Aleksander Barkov (11), Sam Reinhart (9), and Brandon Montour (8), who are all among the Top 15 five-on-four scorers.

#20 Again, since the holiday break, looking at players with the highest rate of on-ice expected goals in all situations, Matthew Tkachuk holds the lead among players with at least 100 minutes played at 6.13, followed by Nikolaj Ehlers (5.67), Roope Hintz (5.62), Zach Hyman (5.42), and Auston Matthews (5.36). Some interesting and possibly unexpected names in the Top 25 include Kyle Palmieri, Carter Verhaeghe, Tomas Hertl, and Michael Eyssimont. Strictly during five-on-five play, Tkachuk and Verhaeghe rank 1-2, followed by Hertl, Sam Bennett, and Jaccob Slavin. The takeaway here is that the Panthers have something cooking with their second line at even strength, in addition to their suddenly potent power play.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

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

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

20 FANTASY POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

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

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

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

FORWARDS

Dylan Larkin

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

Tyler Bertuzzi

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

Lucas Raymond

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

Jakub Vrana

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

Pius Suter

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

Andrew Copp

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

David Perron

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

Dominik Kubalik

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

Oskar Sundqvist

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

DEFENSE

Moritz Seider

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

Filip Hronek

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

Ben Chiarot

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

Olli Maatta

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

GOALTENDING

Alex Nedeljkovic

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

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

Projected starts: 35-40

Ville Husso

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

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

Projected starts: 45-50

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Oilers power play in a league of its own – Sillinger, Terry, Mangiapane, Getzlaf and more

Scott Cullen — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 14:51:31 +0000

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

In this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points, the Oilers power play is in a league of its own, Cole Sillinger, Troy Terry, Andrew Mangiapane, and Ryan Getzlaf are among the players off to encouraging starts to the season.

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 18: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) in action in the third period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Winnipeg Jets on March 18, 2021 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

#1 The Edmonton Oilers power play is wrecking the league. This is not new, as the Oilers have the most productive 5-on-4 results across the past three seasons, scoring 9.45 goals per 60 minutes. This season they are scoring 19.03 goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-4 play. The St. Louis Blues (16.62) are the only other team scoring more than 12 goals per 60 during 5-on-4 play. This is unsustainably ridiculous but when it has already been established as the league’s best power play, they are probably going to continue to put up great results.

#2 Among those to play at least 10 minutes during 5-on-4 play this season (it’s early!), Connor McDavid leads the way with 16.68 points/60. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (13.39) is seventh. Zach Hyman (12.54) is ninth. Leon Draisaitl is all the way down at 20^th (10.98). Even if these early results are unsustainably great, the prolific nature of the Edmonton power play does bode well for players like Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman.

#3 Hyman, in particular, is reaping early rewards from his role on the Oilers power play. He has 6.70 individual expected goals per 60 minutes during 5-on-4 play, which is far and away the best rate in the league. The rest of the top five includes: Matthew Tkachuk (3.87), Leon Draisaitl (3.77), Reilly Smith (3.77), and Josh Norris (3.76). Connor McDavid is sixth (3.63).

#4 The job just keeps getting more challenging in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin have landed in Covid-19 protocol after Crosby had played just one game following offseason wrist surgery. A player to watch in Pittsburgh could be rookie Drew O’Connor, who has five points (3 G, 2 A) in seven games but ranks fourth in points/60 (4.30) and 19^th in shots/60 (12.05). That is a super small sample for a player who does not have an illustrious track record as a scorer, but O’Connor did produce 19 points (7 G, 12 A) in 20 AHL games last season during his first pro campaign, so he may have at least a little offensive upside.

#5 Columbus Blue Jackets rookie centre Cole Sillinger had a goal and an assist in his first eight NHL games then put up two goals and an assist in Wednesday’s overtime win against Colorado. One reason to be intrigued by Sillinger’s ability to generate offense? Among the 212 forwards that have played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes, Sillinger ranks fifth with 13.95 shots/60, behind Blake Coleman (16.76), Vladimir Tarasenko (14.76), Jeff Skinner (14.35), and Logan O’Connor (14.31).

#6 Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry failed to record a point in Anaheim’s first game of the season. In the nine games since then, Terry has 12 points (7 G, 5 A) and 21 shots on goal, recording a point in each of those nine games. He has already tied his career high with seven goals, the same total he had last season in 48 games. Terry has also played more than 21 minutes in two of the past three games, so his production is getting rewarded.

VANCOUVER, BC - MAY 18: Calgary Flames left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) skates with the puck during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on May 18, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

#7 With seven goals in nine games this season, Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane has scored 25 goals in 65 games since the start of last season, shooting a lofty 22.5%. That shooting percentage is not likely to last but since the start of last season there have been 323 forwards to play at least 500 5-on-5 minutes. From that group, Mangiapane ranks fifth with 1.46 goals/60, behind Auston Matthews (1.83), Jakub Vrana (1.68), Daniel Sprong (1.56), and Brandon Saad (1.46).

#8 Speaking of players with unsustainably high shooting percentages, Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn has eight points (5 G, 3 A) during a five-game point streak. He now has seven goals on 18 shots this season, good for a 38.9% shooting percentage. Killorn led the league in shooting percentage in 2019-2020 when he scored on 20.0% of his shots but he has been under 12.5% in every other season of his career. This isn’t to suggest dropping Killorn, as he has established a consistent level of production and has a significant role on the Lightning power play, but the goal-scoring pace should slow down.

#9 Ryan Getzlaf became the Anaheim Ducks all-time leading scorer this week, surpassing Teemu Selanne, and the 36-year-old centre has been very productive, with 10 points (1 G, 9 A) in 11 games but that does not cover all of Getzlaf’s fantasy appeal. He also has 21 hits, 11 blocked shots and, often a reluctant shooter, he has 30 shots on goal. His 2.73 shots per game would rank as the second highest per-game shot rate of his career. It’s early, but it looks like a pretty good bounce-back season after Getzlaf managed 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 48 games last season.

#10 Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov was in a goal-scoring slump to start the season but scored in overtime against Ottawa Tuesday to get on the board. He has eight points (1 G, 7 A) and 32 shots on goal in nine games and that shot rate was always the reason to expect Kaprizov to snap out of it. Last season started differently for him. Kaprizov had 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in his first 18 games but only had 32 shots. His shot rate picked up as the season progressed and now, he is good for three-plus per game on average.

#11 Minnesota’s Kevin Fiala is also off to a relatively mediocre start, with five points (1 G, 4 A) in nine games but he has 27 shots on goal, and he has only had more than three shots on goal per game once in his career – that was last season. As long as the shots are there, it’s fair to expect the goals and points to follow.

#12 For those seeking peripheral statistical value, beyond goals and assists, there are four players with at least two shots on goal and four hits per game: Darnell Nurse, Brady Tkachuk, Dmitrij Jaskin, and Radko Gudas. Nurse and Tkachuk would have been relatively early picks because they are productive enough offensively, too. Jaskin has not found the scoresheet yet for Arizona but is not shy about playing the body, while Gudas has consistently generated shots and hits for much of his career.

#13 A group of defensemen offering additional peripheral stats value, those averaging at least two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots per game: Esa Lindell, Jacob Trouba, Zach Whitecloud, and Matt Dumba. Whitecloud is on IR and Dumba is rostered in 80% of Yahoo leagues, but Trouba (52%) and Lindell (23%) are more readily available to provide sneaky value on the blueline.

#14 Among 212 forwards that have played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (3.95) and Auston Matthews (3.77) rank first and third in terms of on-ice expected goals. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov is second (3.83) and Jordan Staal (3.54) is fourth. St. Louis’ Robert Thomas (3.50), somewhat surprisingly, rounds out the top five. That might suggest that it’s time to buy on the Maple Leafs’ top line because, so far, their production has not been outstanding. But if the chances have been there, the goals will probably be coming soon.

#15 Nylander and Matthews are now playing with Michael Bunting, who is the league leader in individual expected goals during 5-on-5 play (1.41), followed by Dylan Larkin (1.32), Jeff Skinner (1.25), Alex Iafallo (1.23), and Vladimir Tarasenko (1.20). Auston Matthews and Andrei Svechnikov are sixth and seventh, respectively.

#16 Some notable forwards with the lowest on-ice expected goals: Mike Hoffman (1.22), Kevin Labanc (1.29), Dominik Kubalik (1.40), Luke Kunin (1.42), and Nick Suzuki (1.57). It is tough to create sustainable offence with such low rates of expected goals during 5-on-5 play. Given expectations, Suzuki might be the most worrying in that low-rent statistical neighbourhood.

#17 Early in the season, the best goaltenders in terms of actual goals allowed vs. expected goals allowed in all situations are: Frederik Andersen, Sergei Bobrovsky, Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Markstrom, and Elvis Merzlikins. Every one of those goaltenders has had some previous success in the league but Andersen, Bobrovsky, and Markstrom are all coming off mediocre, at best, seasons in 2021. Who can figure out goaltenders from one year to the next?

#18 At the other end of the spectrum, the worst goaltenders in terms of actual goals allowed vs. expected goals allowed in all situations this season are: Carter Hutton, Kevin Lankinen, Marc-Andre Fleury, Darcy Kuemper, and Philipp Grubauer. Fleury won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender last season. Grubauer was a finalist. Kuemper has a .921 save percentage in 147 games since 2017-2018. It is early and small sample goaltending is about as volatile as it gets but goaltending remains a fickle and often unpredictable beast.

#19 Aside from the injured Drew Doughty and Ryan Ellis, the defenceman with the highest points per game this season is Carolina’s Tony DeAngelo, who has 10 points in nine games (1.11 ppg). He is just ahead of Roman Josi (1.10) and Adam Fox (1.10). Kevin Shattenkirk, Kris Letang, Aaron Ekblad, Torey Krug, and Victor Hedman are each at one point per game. Everything is coming up Carolina, it seems.

#20 The Montreal Canadiens sent rookie right winger Cole Caufield to the American Hockey League this week, after he started the season with no goals and one assist in 10 games. Caufield had 22 shots on goal. Last season, when he scored four goals in his first 10 games for the Habs, Caufield had 30 shots on goal, and he had 48 shots on goal in 20 playoff games, so the declining shot rate was one troubling sign. Not all of that would fall on Caufield but if he is not being put in position to generate three shots per game, he is probably not going to deliver the desired results. He will be back, likely after tearing up the AHL for a while.

Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS 4/1/21 – Ekblad, Hintz, Laine, Gostisbehere, McCann, Hoffman, Robertson and more ..

Scott Cullen — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:18:37 +0000

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

This week, a look at the Panthers in the wake of Aaron Ekblad’s injury; Roope Hintz, Adam Fox, Shayne Gostisbehere, Patrik Laine, Mike Hoffman, Jason Robertson and more.

#1 The broken leg suffered by Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is a heavy loss for a playoff team that was getting solid play at 5-on-5, with the lowest shots against rates (45.8 CA/60) of his career, but he was really making a difference on the power play, where he had tied his career-high with six goals and was two points away from his career-high of 13 power play points, set during his rookie season in 2014-2015.

#2 The Panthers power play was one of the rare first units that was still running with two defensemen, Ekblad and Keith Yandle. Now that Patric Hornqvist is also out, after getting crushed by Chicago defenseman Nikita Zadorov, and Aleksander Barkov remains out with a lower-body injury, the Panthers have a revamped power play that still includes Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau but has roles for Carter Verhaeghe, Frank Vatrano, and Alexander Wennberg. Even Brett Connolly and Owen Tippett saw some time with that first unit.

#3 If there is a player who will get tested in Ekblad’s absence, it may be MacKenzie Weegar, who has had stellar defensive metrics in the past two seasons, most of which he has spent playing alongside Ekblad. Since the start of last season, that pairing has been on the ice for more than 54% of shot attempts, more than 55% of expected goals, and 58% of goals during 5-on-5 play. This while starting more shifts in the defensive zone and more frequently facing the opposition’s top forwards.

#4 Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz has taken a step forward this season though each step forward seems to come with at least a shuffle back while Hintz does tend to miss games with injuries. He has recorded points in nine of his past 10 games, scoring 13 points (7 G, 6 A) while launching 29 shots on goal in that time. Hintz has played 23 of 33 games this season and that is really the only issue to diminish his accomplishments. If he had played more games, his production would be recognized far and wide. Hintz has scored 1.44 goals per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play this season which ranks 11^th among 380 forwards to play at least 200 5-on-5 minutes.

#5 Lest you think that Hintz is only a dynamo during 5-on-5 play, Hintz is also the points/60 leader during 5-on-4 situations this season, too, with 11.26 points/60. Martin Necas (10.31), Eeli Tolvanen (10.01), Dominik Kubalik (9.93), and Victor Hedman (9.85) are the next most efficient point producers among skaters with more than 50 minutes of 5-on-4 ice time.

#6 New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is on fire. He has 15 points (2 G, 13 A) during an eight-game point streak. In that two-week span, since March 17, the Rangers are tied with the Colorado Avalanche as the highest scoring team in the league with 4.50 goals/60 in all situations.

RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 20: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Patrik Laine (29) with the puck during the 1st period of the Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets on March 20th, 2021 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire)

#7 In his first 10 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Patrik Laine scored six goals and added four assists. 10 points in 10 games is pretty good, right? It is. But Laine also had just 18 shots on goal in those 10 games, a remarkably low shot rate for a player who had established in his first four NHL seasons that he needed to get shots in order to provide value. He has never been a great 5-on-5 player in the NHL, so it has been imperative that he either get shooting opportunities in those situations or on the power play in order to reap the rewards of his tremendous shot. In the 17 games since his decent start in Columbus, Laine has one goal (scored on the power play) and three assists, with 33 shots on goal. There were skeptics in the immediate aftermath of the trade, suggesting that a John Tortorella-Patrik Laine pairing would encounter some rocky waters but this has been even worse than the harshest critics could have predicted.

#8 Alex Ovechkin is noted far and wide as the triggerman on the Washington Capitals power play and he has produced just over 35 shot attempts/60 during 5-on-4 play this season. There are six skaters generating an even higher rate of 5-on-4 shot attempts: David Perron (44.7), Mika Zibanejad (39.4), Nikolaj Ehlers (38.2), Kyle Connor (38.2), Dominik Kubalik (37.5), and Adrian Kempe (35.0).

#9 The defenseman with the highest rate of 5-on-4 shot attempts (minimum 50 minutes) is Dougie Hamilton (30.5), ahead of Shayne Gostisbehere (29.2), Drew Doughty (28.9), Aaron Ekblad (28.7), Cale Makar (28.3), and Shea Weber (28.2).

#10 Gostisbehere cleared waivers this week, probably because he has two more years left on his contract, but in his past 16 games for the Flyers, Gostisbehere has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 46 shots on goal. 167 defensemen played at least 200 total minutes in that time and Gostisbehere had a higher rate of shot attempts and shots per minute than any of them.

#11 In that time, the Flyers also had an all-situations save percentage of .848 with Gostisbehere on the ice. Believe it or not, there were three defensemen who have had worse save percentages in that time (since February 24): Gostisbehere’s Philadelphia teammates Philippe Myers (.824) and Travis Sanheim (.834) as well as Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin (.834).

#12 The forwards with the most even-strength ice time without a secondary assist at evens this season: Anze Kopitar, Andrew Mangiapane, Max Domi, and Evgeni Dadonov. Given the unsustainable nature of secondary assists these players might be due for better in that category, but it also might be too late to salvage the overall production of Domi and Dadonov.

#13 There are four defensemen to play at least 400 even-strength minutes and still not have a secondary assist this season: Jani Hakanpaa, Andy Greene, Matthew Benning, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

#14 There are some notable defensemen that have played more than 500 even-strength minutes and have just one secondary assist, including Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Shea Weber.

#15 Forwards that have the highest rate of secondary assists during even strength minutes (minimum 400 minutes): Gabriel Landeskog (1.45 per 60), James van Riemsdyk (1.42), Jack Roslovic (1.35), Evgeni Malkin (1.26), and Patrice Bergeron (1.15). While Landeskog and Bergeron quite notably have elite linemates, van Riemsdyk and Roslovic appear to be good candidates for regression.

#16 With Malkin out of the lineup, the Penguins have needed Jared McCann to step up and provide secondary offense and McCann has done just that. Since returning to from injury, McCann has 11 points (6 G, 5 A) and 29 shots on goal in 12 games. He has 3.24 primary points/60 this month, which ranks fifth among skaters to play at least 100 5-on-5 minutes. Mark Stone, Artemi Panarin, Connor McDavid, and Mikko Rantanen are the only players with a higher primary points/60 in March.

#17 Last offseason was a strange one for free agency, and it resulted in some proven scorers taking short-term deals, presumably so that they could potentially hit a healthier free agent market after another productive season. That might have been the plan but that is not how it ultimately has turned out for St. Louis Blues winger Mike Hoffman, who has one goal, one assist, and 17 shots on goal in his past 10 games, which earned him a trip to the press box. Hoffman’s individual rates – shot attempts/60, shots/60, expected goals/60, goals/60, points/60 – are all at career lows.

#18 The Blues have been getting outshot handily with Hoffman on the ice (45.8 CF%) and it is not because of his defensive shortcomings, as might be expected, rather it is that when Hoffman is on the ice the Blues are not generating enough offense. Hoffman has moved around the lineup a lot – eight Blues have played more than 50 5-on-5 minutes with Hoffman – and his most common linemate, Brayden Schenn, had terrible results with him (39.4 CF%). Would the Blues, now healthier up front, move Hoffman before the trade deadline?

#19 Goalies with the best all-situations save percentage in the past month (minimum 5 GP): Casey DeSmith (.969), Juuse Saros (.963), Igor Shesterkin (.941), Thatcher Demko (.937), Philipp Grubauer (.936), Kaapo Kahkonen (.934), Alex Nedeljkovic (.934), Carey Price (.931), Tristan Jarry (.928), and Jaroslav Halak (.925).

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 13: Dallas Stars Left Wing Jason Robertson (21) controls the puck in the second period during the regular season NHL game between the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs on February 13, 2020 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire)

#20 Stars rookie winger Jason Robertson has forced his way into a bigger role by producing at an elite level. He was eased into the lineup early, playing less than 12 minutes in six of his first 12 games but as Robertson started to get some points, his role expanded and then as other Stars got injured, Robertson has emerged as a crucial part of the team’s offense. He has 16 points (5 G, 11 A) and 47 shots on goal in the past 16 games. While shots were hard to come by when he wasn’t playing so much, Robertson has now recorded at least three shots on goal in each of his past eight games.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

Chicago Blackhawks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:50:04 +0000

Around one month into last season, the Chicago Blackhawks, meandering through a slow start, fired their coach, future Hall of Famer Joel Quenneville. He was replaced by Jeremy Colliton, who had been the head coach of the Blackhawks’ AHL club in nearby Rockford. The new youngest coach in the NHL had only been behind the bench at any level for five years, the first four of which were in Sweden, with Mora, which he helped guide from the Allsvenskan to the SHL before taking the Rockford job.

The hiring was curious for more reasons than just Colliton’s general lack of experience. For another thing, hiring coaches from the AHL has recently fallen out of vogue, at least directly, with many GMs preferring coaching retreads, or, if they want a new face, looking to the college ranks, as was done in Dallas and Broadway, following Philadelphia a few years ago. (Note that exceptions are sometimes made when the incumbent coach is fired or leaves at an awkward time – see Colorado and the hiring of Jared Bednar) Promoting assistants to the top job has also been popular, as we see with the most recent Stanley Cup winner in Craig Berube, or with Ottawa plucking DJ Smith from the backbench of Provincial rival Toronto.

In any case, Colliton’s promotion from Rockford does give us a chance to study how he incorporated some of his old charges from the farm into the NHL lineup. There were a few 2017-18 IceHogs who received significant time in the Chicago lineup in 2018-19. Looking at our top 20 from last year, big blueliner Carl Dahlstrom lost his eligibility after playing in 38 games. Luke Johnson also got into 15 games, retaining his prospect eligibility (which he will try to lose this year as a member of the Minnesota Wild). Netminder Collin Delia got 16 games in net when Corey Crawford was hurt, and put up numbers that were better than ostensible backup Cam Ward’s (although still not that great). Other players having played under Colliton for both teams include Gustav Forsling, Andreas Martinsen, John Hayden, Dennis Gilbert, and Alexandre Fortin.

Notably, none of the players listed above had outsized roles with Collliton’s Blackhawks’ squad as he was able to tell the difference in quality between good AHL players and NHL talent. The Blackhawks nonetheless finished around the same under Colliton as they were with Quenneville. Based on the list below, we also don’t expect the Rockford connection to play a greater role next year, as of the five players listed who primarily played in the AHL last year, three came to the organization from other teams in the offseason, meaning they had never played under Colliton. The two that are holdovers include Dylan Sikura, who actually only played for Colliton in Chicago, and Lucas Carlsson, who was still in Sweden, playing for Brynas, when Colliton was in Rockford.

Even with the overall record not changing much between the two coaches, and the new coach not utilizing much in the way of familiar faces in his new job, the Blackhawks did at least feel more energized under the younger coach. And with one of the deepest systems in the game, there is the hope that Colliton will be better equipped to utilize the young talent entering the system than his predecessor had been.

-Ryan Wagman

Adam Boqvist (27) of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kirby Dach, C (3^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Dach is a true game-breaker down the middle of the ice. Few centers bring the combination of size, speed and skill that he provides. He has the ability to make plays in open ice, beat guys one on one or make a pass that cut open defenses. He carries the puck through the neutral zone well and always plays with his head up. He can protect the puck as well as anyone down low and can make passes from anywhere on the ice. He is a very good shooter, too, but his game revolves around his passing ability and ability to hold onto the puck. His defensive game is intriguing as well as he uses his long reach to strip pucks and on the back check can quickly turn the play around with his physical dominance. He needs to improve his consistency over a full season, but he projects as a number one center but could play the wing as early as this season in the NHL. - VG

2 Adam Boqvist, D (8^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 1) An elite offensive defender, Boqvist has the requisite tools to be a high scorer in the NHL. His skating stride is not only smooth, it is powerful, and it allows him to take risks by jumping up into the rush quite frequently. He also possesses fantastic scoring instincts for a defender, sliding down into the slot or using his agility to open up shooting lanes for himself at the blueline. While his offensive game could best be described as dynamic, his defensive game can be summarized as “developing.” Boqvist is a high risk, high reward player who may never be a defensive stalwart but his reads and physical assertiveness will need to improve for him to be a reliable even strength player. He will either play with Chicago, or in the AHL this season. A year of minor pro would likely greatly help his defensive game and make him more equipped to handle the rigors of the NHL. - BO

3 Alex Nylander, LW (8^th overall, 2016 [Buffalo]. Last Year: 3 [Buffalo]) Nylander is a rather controversial and inconsistent player to watch. At his best, he is a gifted playmaker and passer with a great way of seeing the play and anticipating where to be on the ice, however he is rarely at his best. Instead he lacks physicality or any sort of aggressiveness in his game which sees him often times back down from being first to the puck and battles as he is weak on the puck. For a forward with size and a good shot, Nylander has to make sure to keep his feet moving at all times and be stronger so that he can get the opportunities he deserves. He has the skill to be a middle six forward but he will need to make major adjustments to his attitude and consistency in order to make the next level work. He will need to be more aggressive and his work ethic will have to be much better than in previous seasons. - SC

4 Aleksi Saarela, C (89^th overall, 2015 [New York Rangers]. Last Year: 3 [Carolina]) Saarela is a hard-working, dynamic player who wins battles and moves so efficiently that his energy stays high throughout the entirety of each game. He is a great shooter and his accuracy is impressive which makes him a tough opponent to stop. He is an all-around fun and creative player to watch and with his hockey sense and skill, he has the potential to be a top six forward and lead a team despite his size. He flies under the radar but will still need a year in the AHL to gain enough momentum and confidence to be the same type of player once he moves up to the NHL. That being said, should Saarela have another great year and work on being more accurate with his breakout and regroup passes, his transition to the next level will be much easier. He will also need to better his coverage at both ends of the ice. - SC

5 Ian Mitchell, D (57^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 4) Overshadowed in the AJHL in his draft year by Cale Makar, Mitchell is likewise a second fiddle defender in the Chicago pipeline behind Boqvist. That said, he has clearly been the top blueliner for Denver for two years running. He is a fine skater, with four directional ability, and his hands are just as quick. He can dangle and is a natural at walking the blueline and moving off of it to help his team create offense. As good as he is offensively, he is just as sharp in his own zone. He plays with a mature sense of calm and can be relied upon in the hairiest situations. Even with Boqvist in the picture, I would not put a first pairing future past Mitchell, although second pairing is more likely. - RW

Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Sikura (95) (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire)

6 Dylan Sikura, D (178^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 3) With great speed and incredible hockey vision, Sikura has turned into an absolute steal as a sixth round pick for the Blackhawks. A former OJHL star, he spent four years at Northeastern to ramp up his offensive game to the high level he sits at now. In his first full pro year, he posted a 45-17-18-35 stat line with AHL Rockford while adding eight assists in 33 NHL games. From the standpoint of raw skating, he was one of the best in the AHL and in this very deep farm system. His playmaking has long been his calling card, and he loves to make space for teammates with his speed only to pass it off. He is a smaller center, but does not shy away from doing the dirty work on both ends of the rink. His shot will never be a legitimate weapon, but he can hide his biggest flaw by playing a distributor role instead. He could be a top-six forward -- he routinely plays all three positions -- as soon as this season. - TD

7 Niklas Nordgren, RW (74^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 5) Nordgren was having a strong 2018-19 season until he was injured, which caused him to miss the World Juniors and limited his season to only 15 Liiga games. The 5-9" winger is not the fastest of skaters but has very good passing skills, offensive instincts and vision. He can execute an efficient and quick passing game both in the neutral and offensive zones. He is smart in possession and constantly plays with his head up while scanning his options. Nordgren has a quick and very accurate wrist shot, as well as a hard slap shot, both of which can beat goalies cleanly. He has a goal-scorer's touch around the net. A lack of explosiveness in his skating is concerning, but his top speed is quite good and still improving. He has middle-six upside as an offensive-minded winger. - MB

8 Michal Teply, LW (105^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Teply has been a key player for the Czech youth national teams at the international level. The Blackhawks' third round pick is a very smart winger with no shortage of skill, either. Even when having limited time and space, he can deliver quality passes and stay poised under pressure. He makes quick decisions with the puck and reads the game at a high level. He has good shooting technique and mechanics, making for an accurate, high-velocity wrist shot. He is an agile and fluid skater with good coordination. He can carry the puck into the zone with relative ease, but he would be even more dangerous with improved acceleration, especially from a standstill. Teply projects as a middle-six winger at the NHL level. He will play for WHL's Winnipeg Ice this season. - MB

9 Alex Vlasic, D (43^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A Chicago-area native, Vlasic gains notice as soon as eyes are laid upon him, considering his towering 6-6” size. His skating needs to be cleaned up, but he gets to a decent top speed, especially considering his frame. Vlasic is still incredibly raw and learning what he can and cannot do against advanced competition, especially as it pertains to his ability to read the play. He has surprisingly good hands and is capable of executing highlight reel passes. His long reach helps him overcome some of his defensive zone foibles, but he flashes enough to suggest that he can grow into competence there. Coupling in the fear factor, as he is not afraid to run guys over, and we have here a blueliner with outsized potential once he decides on the type of player he should be. - RW

10 MacKenzie Entwistle, C/RW (69^th overall, 2017 [Arizona]. Last Year: Not ranked) Like a Swiss army knife, there are many facets to Entwistle’s game. He has size. He skates well. He is a very intelligent player away from the puck and is effective in all three zones. He asserts himself physically and is an excellent forechecker. He can play all three forward positions and slide up and down a lineup depending on need. He provides leadership and is coming off back to back Championships with two different OHL teams. While Entwistle does not possess elite offensive tools, he is the type of player that the coaching staff in Chicago will absolutely love. And, as already alluded to, he is the type of player you win Championships with. His projection is likely of a bottom six forward who can anchor a penalty kill and he should move quickly through Chicago’s system, even if the offensive production is only mediocre. - BO

11 Dominik Kubalik, LW (191^st overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Last Year: Not ranked [Los Angeles]) Kubalik put together a breakout season with Ambri-Potta on the Swiss NLA. He was one of the top players for the Czech national tea, throughout the season as well, earning a spot on the team for the World Championships, where he recorded 12 points in 10 games. A skilled a sizeable winger who can score goals, he has a strong shot selection which features a quick release wrist shot and an accurate one-timer. Scoring goals comes naturally to him, especially from the circles. He also has the vision and passing skills to create offensive opportunities for others in the final third. Kubalik is a decent skater. His quickness used to be somewhat of an issue, but he has shown improvements in agility and foot speed. He has versatility and physicality to boot, allowing him to be used up and down an NHL lineup. - MB

12 Nicolas Beaudin, D (27^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) While Beaudin’s offensive numbers were down a bit from the previous season, he still showed his amazing passing ability. He can hit any teammate anywhere on the ice, putting them in an optimal scoring position. He adds to his great passing with excellent hockey sense, and 56 points from the blueline is nothing to sneeze at. He can read plays as well as anyone in the QMJHL. What still holds him back is his size and his acceleration. He is an undersized blueliner who does not play physical. While his movement and agility is excellent, his speed is just okay. His acceleration is what hurts his skating the most, although his edgework is great. He can overcompensate on both ends of the puck for this, but he can also make great breakouts and succeed in the offensive zone. He is a very talented offensive defender who can quarterback a power play at the NHL level. - MS

13 Brandon Hagel, LW (159^th overall, 2016 [Buffalo]. Last Year: Not ranked [not affiliated]) Hagel is a previously drafted but unsigned player that had to recommit himself in his 20 year old season to get a shot at a pro career. He excels with the puck on his stick, has very good vision and was a top five scorer in the WHL last season. His shot isn’t blow you away quick but he picks corners incredibly well which makes him a dual threat as a shooter and a passer. He played both special teams units and he is an excellent agitator which enables him to draw a lot of penalties. He needs to improve on his discipline as he can run a little hot and take himself out of his game with foolish penalties. Hagel has a chance to be a very good third line player who can be matched up against anyone and can contribute offense from a depth role but will take a couple seasons in the AHL before he sees any NHL ice time. - VG

14 John Quenneville, C (30^th overall, 2014 [New Jersey]. Last Year: 4 [New Jersey]) It is no secret that Quenneville’s path to success has been somewhat delayed and a little rocky. Last season with Binghamton in the AHL was good but saw him also spend a fair bit of time in the penalty box. He has the hands and natural skill to no doubt be playing in the NHL but where he will end up exactly is up to him. He will need to push himself harder to stay focused and stay caught up with the pace of the NHL game if he wants to be anything higher than a third liner. At his best, Quenneville is a dynamic, aggressive power forward who is hard to stop but this next season is a make or break year and it will be up to him to see if he can secure a full time spot in the lineup with the Blackhawks, an organization that prides itself on its forward development. - SC

15 Evan Barratt, C (90^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 12) After struggling through an occasionally trying freshman campaign, Barratt hit a new level with Penn State last season. He is a strong skater with good playmaking instincts. He reads opposing defenses very well and has a knack for finding linemates in motion. While his offensive game is solid, he doesn’t seem to have enough skill to play in a top six, but thankfully he more than makes up for it with strong defensive zone work. He is a trusted penalty killer and generally has his stick in the right place to break up plays and regain possession. He is also a willing combatant, happy to get his nose dirty and generally not fun to play against. Heading back for his junior season, I expect Barratt to sign next spring and work his way to a third line role. - RW

16 Jakub Galvas, D (150^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) The top scoring teenager in the Czech Extraliga last year, Galvas increased his offensive output by around 25% despite playing in two fewer games and once again having his season interrupted by the WJC. Despite lacking size, he is an all-situations defender, who uses his stick well in his own zone while also having a knack for filling in shooting and passing lanes with his body. He has very quick feet, which enable him to join or lead the rush and get back quickly if needed, which, on some occasions, is due to his own turnovers. The former fifth round pick is developing steadily and is readying himself for a big step up in competition as he will be playing in the Liiga for Jukurit this season. He still has much to iron out in his game, but between his skating and puck skills, he has a solid shot at a third pairing spot down the road. - RW

17 Alexis Gravel, G (162^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) Gravel is a big goalie who plays an efficient game. He had a big year last year when he needed to; Halifax was reliant on his game to get them to the big stage, and he was needed at times for a deep Mooseheads playoff run into May. While he carries a lot of muscle at 218 pounds, he can move around the crease quickly and puts himself in good position to make the second and third save when needed. In fact, he makes some tough saves look routine with his great puck tracking and anticipation. Gravel might have gained too much weight too quickly and sapped some quickness a year ago but showed this year that the added weight was not an issue. He has starter potential as he gets quicker and continues to progress. - MS

18 Philipp Kurashev, LW/C (120^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) Kurashev is a well-rounded and refined offensive player. For the second year in a row, he scored over one point-per-game, and also for the second year in a row, he impressed at the WJC, with seven points in seven games for Team Switzerland last holiday season while being the centerpiece of his team. In Quebec, he also had to deal with the extra attention of being the top center on his team, and thrived with a defensively-responsible offensive game as a player who can play a ton of minutes. Kurashev wrapped up his season with three games in the AHL with Rockford and finally four points over eight games with Switzerland at the world championships playing against men. He needs to improve his skating speed a bit, but he has the makings of a top-nine contributor at the NHL level. - MS

19 Lucas Carlsson, D (110^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) A highly aggressive and entertaining defenseman, Carlsson had a very solid 2018-19 campaign, his first in the North American pro ranks. He paced all of Rockford’s defensemen in most offensive categories on their top defensive pair. His speed and shot are average at best, but his fierce and enthusiastic drive in all three zones is what makes him an intriguing prospect. His stretch passes are tight and quick, but he is capable of weaving through the neutral zone with the hands and edgework that make him a fine two-way blueliner. He loves to join the rush as a trailer and let off a wrister, although his shot is average at best. Defensively, he is never hesitant to pressure an opposing forward with a hit against the boards or a sweep check at the line. He is still a while away from being an NHLer, and his play-tracking on defense will have to improve until then, but I would not be surprised to see him on the Blackhawks’ third pair in the near future. - TD

20 Andrei Altybarmakyan, RW (70^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 20) A gifted player and a fast skater, Altybarmakyan has already accumulated significative pro experience in the last few seasons and is now a full-time KHL player after moving to HC Sochi from SKA. The move panned out well for him as he found more time on ice and a former NHL superstar on the bench in Sergei Zubov. A dangerous player when the ice opens up, Altybarmakyan needs to improve his defensive game, his consistency, and his intensity before trying to move overseas. In the NHL it is hard to rely on talent alone, and at this point, he is nothing more than a project player. However, he has intriguing offensive potential and next year will be key to understanding what his real ceiling is. - ASR