JAKOB SILFVERBERG – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE WEEK AHEAD (February 12th to February 18th) – Washington fading in playoff race and faces tough questions – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:37:42 +0000

Early this season, Washington seemed to be able to manufacture wins despite not looking great on paper. The Capitals had a 17-9-4 record through Dec. 21, but at that time they had a minus-8 goal differential. Washington was doing fine defensively, ranking 10th with 2.73 goals allowed per game, but it was 30th offensively, averaging just 2.43 goals per contest. Washington compensated for that by having one of the league’s best records in one-goal games (10-1-4).

The question at the time was if Washington’s success was mere smoke and mirrors. At this point, it’s fair to say that it was. The Capitals are now 22-20-7. They’re seven points back in the Wild Card race, which might not sound like much, but it’s a mountain to climb this late in the campaign. Meanwhile, their goal differential has gotten even worse, dropping to minus-36.

If Washington can’t find a way to turn things around soon, then the Capitals will need to consider retooling. What would look like, though? Trading Alexander Ovechkin is almost certainly a nonstarter. He’s not having that strong of a season anyway (11 goals and 33 points in 46 games) and at the age of 38, teams might be reluctant to take on his $9.5 million cap hit through 2025-26. Even if he was playing well, though, he’s the face of the franchise and has a no-movement clause, so there would be a lot of barriers to moving him.

TJ Oshie? His $5.75 million cap hit through 2024-25 likely would give contenders pause too. The 37-year-old has just eight goals and 12 points through 32 contests. Tom Wilson agreed to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract in August, so Washington probably won’t trade him, and Dylan Strome is signed to a $5 million cap hit through 2027-28. Meanwhile, Nicklas Backstrom is on the long-term injured reserve and isn’t likely to play again this season while Evgeny Kuznetsov is in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, so neither of them is likely to come up in serious trade conversations.

There are still a couple of players who might be dealt. Anthony Mantha’s 16 goals and 24 points in 45 outings isn’t good relative to his $5.7 million cap hit, but at least his contract ends at the end of this campaign, so there might be contenders willing to part with a pick for him if Washington retains half his remaining salary. Max Pacioretty has a goal and seven points in 14 contests since coming back from his Achilles injury. That’s not great, but there might still be a team interested in him as a secondary scorer and veteran presence.

Those kinds of moves won’t fundamentally change Washington, though, they’ll just leave the Capitals with minor consolation prizes for their lost season. At some point, though, Washington needs to decide if a larger rebuild is necessary. The Capitals are likely reluctant to go down that path while Ovechkin is still under contract, but the alternative might be added years of futility before finally beginning the process.

Anaheim Ducks – TUE @ MTL, THU @ OTT, SAT @ TOR

The Ducks will be in Canada next week, playing in Montreal on Tuesday, Ottawa on Thursday and Toronto on Saturday. The 26-15-8 Maple Leafs figure to be a tough adversary, but Montreal and Ottawa are far removed from the playoff picture.

Those upcoming two games against struggling opponents give Troy Terry an opportunity to extend his hot streak. The 26-year-old has recorded at least a point in six consecutive contests, totaling four goals and six assists. Adam Henrique has been on a run too, providing five goals and 14 points across his last 12 appearances, which gives him 15 goals and 33 points in 49 outings in 2023-24.

Pay special attention to Henrique because there’s a good chance he’ll get traded before the deadline. Granted, that’s not until March 8, but we’ve already seen a couple of major moves, so there’s no guarantee that teams looking to upgrade will wait before pulling the trigger. Especially with Henrique doing so well recently, Anaheim might be able to get a decent return for him. How that impacts Henrique remains to be seen. He’s averaging 17:16 of ice time with Anaheim, including 2:21 with the man advantage, and might not get that kind of role with a contender, which might hinder his fantasy value.

Another trade candidate with Anaheim is Jakob Silfverberg. The 33-year-old forward has struggled this campaign with just five goals and 13 points in 49 outings, but he’s shown some life recently, supplying three goals and five points over his last four appearances. It helps that he’s averaged 15:07 in that span, compared to 12:14 on the season.

Arizona Coyotes – MON @ PHI, WED VS MIN, FRI VS CAR, SUN @ COL

The Coyotes have a busy week ahead of them. It will start with a trip to Philadelphia on Monday, followed by a home stretch versus the Wild on Wednesday and Hurricanes on Friday. Finally, the Coyotes will head to Colorado to play the Avalanche on Sunday.

Although Arizona doesn’t have a back-to-back set next week, the busy schedule might still lead to Karel Vejmelka getting some work. He had a strong relief appearance Thursday, stopping the 28 Golden Knights shots he faced after Connor Ingram surrendered three goals on just six shots midway through the first frame. That strong performance is the exception, though. Vejmelka still has a 6-11-2 record, 3.33 GAA and .900 save percentage in 18 appearances in 2023-24. Ingram has been the better option with a 17-12-1 record, 2.69 GAA and .914 save percentage in 33 outings, but he’s now allowed at least three goals in each of his last three contests, so there’s an opening here for Vejmelka if he can take advantage of it.

Someone else with an opening is Jack McBain. He’s been all over the lineup this season, but recently the 24-year-old has featured on the top unit alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. McBain isn’t much of an offensive threat, scoring just six goals and 15 points through 34 games, so don’t get too excited, but it of course helps to be working alongside players of that caliber.

Especially with Clayton Keller being hot at the moment. He has eight goals and 15 points over his past 12 contests, bringing him up to 21 tallies and 46 points across 49 games.

Boston Bruins – TUE VS TBL, THU VS SEA, SAT VS LAK

The Bruins get to stay in Boston next week and will host the Lightning on Tuesday, the Kraken on Thursday and the Kings on Saturday. It’s not the easiest schedule, but Seattle isn’t in a playoff position and LA has been slumping for the better part of two months, so the potential is there for the Bruins to have a strong run.

Some teams lack any particular player who has stood out recently. That’s almost never the case for the Bruins. You can count on David Pastrnak to put on a show and, most recently, he’s provided three goals and eight points in four contests. He continues to be one of the league’s biggest stars with 33 goals and 75 points through 51 outings.

One player who isn’t as much of a sure thing is Pavel Zacha, but he’s been clicking lately, providing two goals and six points over his active four-game scoring streak. That brings him up to 12 goals and 33 points in 47 appearances this season.

Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has been quickly climbing up the goal-scoring list. He’s found the back of the net 12 times over his past 15 contests, giving him 25 markers and 51 points in 51 games. That puts him on pace to reach the 40-goal milestone for the first time, but his current hot streak has skewed those numbers and he’s a safer bet to finish with around 35 tallies.

Los Angeles Kings – TUE @ BUF, THU @ NJD, SAT @BOS, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

As noted above, LA has struggled lately, posting a 3-8-6 record over its past 17 outings. The Kings will attempt to rebound during a road trip that will take them to Buffalo on Tuesday, New Jersey on Thursday, Boston on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. Certainly not the easiest of schedules, but LA is one of the few teams set to play in four contests, so it’s still worthy of mention.

Maybe the Kings will get some help from Brandt Clarke, who was summoned from AHL Ontario on Thursday. He’s been fantastic in the minors, recording eight goals, 33 points and 35 PIM in 32 contests and figures to be a big part of LA’s long-term plans. It’s not clear what role he’ll have next week, but with the way things have been going for the Kings, they could stand to mix things up, and giving Clarke some responsibility would be one way to do that.

Alex Turcotte was also recalled Thursday. He had a goal and an assist in two games with LA during his previous stint and has recorded 24 points (seven goals) across 30 AHL appearances, so the 22-year-old might be helpful too.

Given the busy schedule, Cam Talbot is expected to get at least one opportunity to rebound over the next week. He had a 14-8-3 record, 2.10 GAA and .925 save percentage in 25 appearances through Jan. 2, but since then he’s lost his last seven contests while posting an ugly 4.62 GAA and .865 save percentage. He hasn’t played since Jan. 26, though, so perhaps the 36-year-old goaltender has had sufficient time off to step back and reset.

At the same time, David Rittich has done well, posting a 5-1-3 record, 2.09 GAA and .925 save percentage in 11 outings this season, which is part of the reason why he’s been able to wrestle the starting gig from Talbot. Even if Talbot rebounds, there’s a chance Rittich will stay busy, perhaps in a 1A and 1B situation. Certainly, this is a goaltending duo worth monitoring.

Montreal Canadiens – TUE VS ANA, THU @ NYR, SAT VS WAS

The Canadiens will host the Ducks on Tuesday, visit the Rangers on Thursday and conclude the week with a home match versus the Capitals on Saturday. New York is a tough adversary, but Anaheim and Washington aren’t in playoff positions.

Montreal’s standout forward recently has been Nick Suzuki, who has provided three goals and eight points during his active five-game scoring streak. The 24-year-old was limited to three assists across eight appearances from Jan. 4-18, but he’s been far more hit than miss this campaign, totaling 15 goals and 45 points through 50 contests.

Sean Monahan was having a strong season with Montreal too, but he was dealt to Winnipeg. The silver lining is that opened the door for Brandon Gignac to make his Canadiens debut Tuesday against Washington. Gignac logged 14:54 of ice time, including 0:32 on the power play. He didn’t record a point in that game, but the 26-year-old has 14 goals, 42 points and 36 PIM in 43 outings with AHL Laval this season, so if he continues to serve in a middle-six capacity while seeing time on the Canadiens’ second power-play unit, then he should have some offensive production going forward. Keep in mind that Montreal might not be done trading veterans. At the least, Tanner Pearson is likely to be shopped, and if that happens, the door might be opened to Gignac also serving a bigger role with the man advantage.

It’s safe to say Juraj Slafkovsky won’t be moved, though. Although the 19-year-old hasn’t been a major part of the Canadiens this year, supplying nine goals and 22 points across 50 contests, he is a big part of their long-term plans. He’s also seen an uptick in production recently, collecting five goals and seven points over his last eight games, so perhaps we’re seeing the early stages of a strong second half.

New Jersey Devils – MON VS SEA, TUE @ NAS (BTB), THU VS LAK, SAT VS PHI

New Jersey is gearing up for an eventful week. It will start by hosting the Kraken on Monday, then the Devils will play in Nashville on Tuesday before returning home to face the Kings on Thursday. They’ll conclude the week with a game against the Flyers on Saturday. New Jersey is the home team for that contest, but rather than it being played at Prudential Center, it will be an outdoor event at MetLife Stadium (the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets).

Injuries have held Jack Hughes back in 2023-24, but he returned from an upper-body issue Thursday, logging 20:24 of ice time, including 3:19 with the man advantage. If he can stay healthy, then Hughes adding 35-40 points over the Devils’ final 33 games is a reasonable hope.

Erik Haula might see his role diminish somewhat now that Hughes is back. Haula logged 15:40 on Thursday compared to an average of 17:40 from Jan. 6-Feb. 6 while the Devils were without Hughes. Haula, who had three goals and seven points in 10 outings during that stretch, might see his production decline as a result. He has 11 goals and 25 points in 43 appearances overall.

One forward who is likely to get a lot of work regardless of Hughes’ status is Jesper Bratt. The 25-year-old winger has certainly earned that privilege. He registered three assists Thursday to extend his scoring streak to six contests (four goals, nine points). Bratt’s up to 20 markers and 55 points through 49 outings in 2023-24.

Ottawa Senators – TUE VS CBJ, THU VS ANA, SAT VS CHI

The Senators aren’t having a great campaign, but they’ll be playing against some of the other teams at the bottom of the pack next week. They’ll host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Ducks on Thursday before visiting the Blackhawks on Saturday.

Before that action starts, Anton Forsberg (groin) and Travis Hamonic (upper body) are set to return this Saturday versus Toronto. The Senators are expected to be without Jake Sanderson (lower body) against Toronto, though, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be available next week. If he can’t play, then Mathieu Joseph will likely find himself with a role on the power play again after averaging just 0:10 with the man advantage over Ottawa’s last seven contests. Joseph hasn’t recorded a power-play point this season, but he’s done well overall with eight goals and 23 points through 37 appearances, so this is a situation worth monitoring.

It will also be interesting to see if Forsberg’s return saps time away from starting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. The No. 1 goaltender has left plenty to be desired this season with a 12-16-2 record, 3.38 GAA and .889 save percentage in 33 outings. However, Korpisalo has stepped up lately, posting a 4-1-2 record, 2.19 GAA and .912 save percentage across his past seven appearances. If he keeps that up, he should be able to hold Forsberg at bay, but if Korpisalo reverts back to his previous struggles, then Forsberg might play on a semi-regular basis down the stretch.

The Senators don’t have any blazing hot forward at the moment, but Shane Pinto has done well since returning from his 41-game suspension for sports wagering activities. He has two goals and four points in six contests and should continue to serve in a middle-six capacity as well as the first power-play unit going forward.

Toronto Maple Leafs – TUE VS STL, THU VS PHI, SAT VS ANA

The Maple Leafs will spend next week at home, hosting the Blues on Tuesday, the Flyers on Thursday and the Ducks on Saturday. That’s not the weakest of schedules, but it’s not a particularly difficult one either. St. Louis and Philadelphia are both in the middle to upper-middle of the pack while Anaheim ranks near the bottom.

Joseph Woll (ankle) still isn’t close to returning, so Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones are still the team’s goaltending duo. Jones hasn’t started since Jan. 20, but Samsonov has surrendered seven goals on 60 shots (.883 save percentage) over his past two contests, so Jones might get another shot next week. Both of those goaltenders have had great stretches, but also some incredibly rough patches, so they’re risks going forward.

One player who hasn’t dealt with such a roller coaster of a campaign is Auston Matthews. The 26-year-old has eight goals and 13 points in eight contests, but what’s remarkable is he’s not especially hot, that’s practically just the norm for him. Through 48 games, he’s supplied 41 tallies and 61 points and is likely to continue to find the back of the net at a reliable pace as long as he stays healthy. His continued health is critical to the team. While it’s true that Toronto has other superstars, he’s personally scored a staggering 24.3 percent of the team’s entire goals.

In terms of the supporting cast, Toronto doesn’t have anyone doing particularly well at present. The only players to accumulate at least three points over the Leafs’ last five contests are the Big Four (Matthews, John Tavares, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander) and their top defenseman, Morgan Rielly. Matthew Knies is getting a turn on the Matthews’ line, though, so perhaps that will help the 21-year-old forward.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forwards

Trevor Zegras - C

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

Troy Terry - RW

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

Mason McTavish - RW

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

Alex Killorn - LW

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

Frank Vatrano - LW

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

Ryan Strome - C

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

Adam Henrique - LW

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

Jakob Silfverberg - RW

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

Brock McGinn - LW

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

Max Jones - LW

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

Defense

Cam Fowler - D

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

Jamie Drysdale - D

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

Radko Gudas- D

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

Goaltending

John Gibson - G

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

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

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

Alex Stalock - G

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

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

Projected starts: 25-30

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Injuries provide opportunities – Blues resurrecting careers in Blais, Vrana and Kapanen

Scott Cullen — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:02:32 +0000

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 2022-2023 NHL season is winding down and there are opportunities available for a rookie defenseman like Jake Sanderson to step up and the St. Louis Blues have been working quite successfully on resurrecting the careers of some forwards, including Sammy Blais, Jakub Vrana, and Kasperi Kapanen.

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 22: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators on October 22, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

#1 Ottawa Senators rookie blueliner Jake Sanderson has had an excellent first season in the NHL and looks like he should see a big role in the final few weeks of the season. Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun are both out, which opens the door for Sanderson to see first unit power play time and extra ice time has resulted in more production for the freshman defenseman. Sanderson played a career high 27:49 against Philadelphia on Thursday and has played more than 23 minutes in 22 games this season, recording 11 assists in those games, including seven helpers with the man advantage.

ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 28: St. Louis Blues left wing Sammy Blais (79) looks for a shooting lane during a game between the Seattle Kraken and the St. Louis Blues on February 28 2023, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

#2 Seeing what he has been able to accomplish since returning to St. Louis, it feels like the New York Rangers might have missed out on the best of Sammy Blais, who was primarily a spare part in his time with the Blueshirts. In his past 12 games, Blais has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) and 53 hits, making him a hugely valuable fantasy contributor and one that is widely available.

#3 Cast aside by the Detroit Red Wings, Jakub Vrana is quickly re-establishing his credentials as a top goal scorer. He scored a goal in Thursday’s 5-3 win at Chicago, making it nine goals and 43 shots on goal in 13 games since he was acquired by the Blues. He now has 23 goals in 44 games since the start of last season.

#4 While we’re hanging out praise in St. Louis, might as well include right winger Kasperi Kapanen, getting another chance to play up in the lineup after his progress stalled in Toronto and Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old speedster has nine points (5 G, 4 A), with 20 shots on goal while playing more than 17 minutes per game, in his past eight contests. With Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich injured, Kapanen has even moved to the middle, playing center between Blais and Jordan Kyrou.

#5 Although he is not as dangerous as he was during his prime years in New Jersey, the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri is providing much-needed offense for a team making a push to the playoffs. Since the trade deadline, Palmieri has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in 12 games. He is up to 15 goals in 49 games and the last time he had more in a season was when he scored 25 in 2019-2020, his last full season with the Devils.

#6 The Nashville Predators remain in the playoff hunt, but they are missing star defenseman Roman Josi, who has an upper-body injury. Fortunately for the Preds, newly acquired Tyson Barrie is helping to fill the role of puck-moving blueliner, contributing seven points (2 G, 5 A) while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game in his past eight games. Barrie’s ice time had dipped the past couple of seasons in Edmonton, but he has spent most of his career logging 21+ minutes of ice time per game, so he can handle this responsibility.

#7 In what has mostly been a lost season, the Philadelphia Flyers can take some solace in the development of young players. One of those players that is rising to the forefront is 23-year-old center Morgan Frost, who has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 16 shots on goal in his pats eight games. He has landed in the middle of a line with Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett, players that should be part of the Flyers’ future, so it would make sense to feed them big minutes the rest of the way.

#8 Production tends to run hot and cold for Edmonton Oilers right winger Kailer Yamamoto, but he seems to have found his groove right now, skating on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, which is admittedly a pretty good spot for point production. In his past seven games, Yamamoto has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 12 shots on goal. While he has just 24 points in 52 games this season, he did have a career-high 41 points in 81 games last season, so there is some untapped offensive upside in the diminutive 24-year-old winger.

#9 Finding productive fourth line scoring is a rarity in the National Hockey League, but it appears that the Seattle Kraken have a reliable source in Daniel Sprong. In his past 11 games, the 26-year-old winger has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 25 shots on goal, while averaging just 10:38 of ice time per game. Among players that have played more than 500 five-on-five minutes, Kraken teammate Jared McCann and Montreal’s Cole Caufield are the only ones that have scored at a higher rate than Sprong’s 1.57 goals per 60 minutes.

#10 One of my favorite players to recommend late in the season has been Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, who is thriving on a line with Clayton Keller. In his past 12 games, Hayton has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) and 33 shots on goal while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. It has taken some time since he was drafted fifth overall in the 2018 Draft, but Hayton’s emergence in the second half of this season should give the Coyotes confidence that he the 22-year-old pivot can be a part of the long-term solution for the franchise.

#11 Injuries have taken their toll on Montreal Canadiens right winger Brendan Gallagher, not only keeping him out of the lineup for extended periods, but also diminishing what he can contribute when he is available to play. Since returning from his latest turn on the injured list, though, Gallagher is looking healthy and has produced four points (3 G, 1 A) and 16 shots on goal in six games. The Habs are cobbling together a functional lineup at this point, with so many players hurt, but Gallagher is getting first unit power play time in addition to skating on a line with Jake Evans and Sean Farrell, the 2020 fourth-round pick who was just signed out of Harvard.

#12 For a defenseman who has never had 25 points in a season, Florida Panthers blueliner Radko Gudas still has a measure of fantasy value because he is a man with a particular set of skills. He hits and hits a lot. In his past 17 games, Gudas has a modest total of four assists, but he also has 90 hits, which works out to 5.3 hits per game. With 280 hits, he ranks third, just behind Luke Schenn (283) and Tanner Jeannot (281).

#13 The season has been undeniably rough for the Anaheim Ducks, but it is not going to get any better with Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry out of the lineup. Zegras is injured and Terry is staying in Anaheim due to the premature birth of his child. Isaac Lundestrom is getting first line duty at center but has gone 14 games without a point. If there is fantasy value to be found in the Ducks lineup, look to Jakob Silfverberg, who has four assists in his past five games, or Derek Grant, who has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games. Okay, those are really only options for the deepest of leagues.

#14 With Buffalo Sabres star center Tage Thompson dealing with an upper-body injury, Casey Mittelstadt is getting a shot on the top line between Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Mittelstadt could stand to shoot the puck more often but does have four assists in his past six games, giving him a career high 44 points (10 G, 34 A) for the season.

#15 Since Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is dealing with a lower-body injury, that should mean more action for Felix Sandstrom and potentially Samuel Ersson, too. Sandstrom has not shown much in a backup role this season but does have a .900 save percentage in five starts since the trade deadline. Ersson has not played for the Flyers since allowing seven goals on 36 shots at New Jersey on February 25, but he had a few standout performances, too, including a 28-save shutout against Buffalo. Speaking of Buffalo, a better option for goaltending late in the season could be Devon Levi, who is set to make his debut for the Sabres on Friday. Levi was a seventh-round pick in 2020 but just wrapped up a college career in which he had a .942 save percentage in 66 games for Northeastern.

#16 Injuries have caught up to the San Jose Sharks, with Alexander Barbanov, Andreas Johnsson, and Evgeny Svechnikov all out of action. That has opened the door for Jacob Peterson, Martin Kaut, and Thomas Bordeleau to land top-six roles in the San Jose lineup. Peterson has three assists in four games since he was acquired from the Dallas Stars. Kaut, claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the season, has four points (2 G, 2 A) with 11 shots on goal in his past five games. Bordeleau recorded an assist in his first game of the season for the Sharks after tallying 41 points (22 G, 19 A) in 64 AHL games. None of these players look like stars, but they are getting a great opportunity at the end of this season to show that they belong in the league.

#17 The top two rookie scorers since the trade deadline play for the Arizona Coyotes. Matias Maccelli has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and is followed by Jack McBain, who has 10 points (3 G, 7 A). They have most recently been skating with Lawson Crouse on the second line in addition to sharing second unit power play time. Maccelli now ranks second among all rookie scorers this season, with 43 points (10 G, 33 A) in 57 games.

#18 Another rookie forward contributing late in the season is Buffalo’s J.J. Peterka, who has nine points (2 G, 7 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past nine games. He has been skating on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, with the 22-year-old Cozens counting as the old vet on the line.

#19 Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy leads the NHL with 12 goals in 13 games since the trade deadline. His 0.92 goals per game ranks first, ahead of Clayton Keller and Leon Draisaitl (0.79), Matthew Tkachuk (0.77), Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin (0.75). When it comes to points per game, Draisaitl leads with 1.93 points per game (11 G, 16 A in 14 GP), followed by Connor McDavid (1.86), Tkachuk (1.69), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1.64), Cale Makar and J.T. Miller (1.62).

#20 Matthews has talked about how a hand injury had negatively impacted his production earlier in the season, but he sure seems to be firing on all cylinders now. Matthews has 67 shots on goal in 12 games since the deadline, an average of 5.58 per game, which leads the league. Before that, he was averaging 4.15 shots on goal per game, so that is a dramatic improvement, though it is admittedly skewed by his launching 15 shots on goal against Carolina on February 25. That is remarkable because the Hurricanes are, easily, the best team in the league when it comes to shot suppression, allowing an average of 25.7 shots against per 60 minutes. The rest of the shots per game leaders since the trade deadline: David Pastrnak (5.29), Viktor Arvidsson (4.75), Brady Tkachuk (4.71), Nathan MacKinnon (4.47), Jack Hughes (4.40), Matthew Tkachuk (4.38), Carter Verhaeghe (4.30), Sidney Crosby (4.21), and Jake Guentzel (4.14). Many of those names are to be expected, though Arvidsson and Verhaeghe are hanging in elite company. Crosby has clearly become more aggressive with his approach as the Penguins desperately cling to a playoff spot.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen - Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:36:15 +0000

ANAHEIM

FORWARDS

Trevor Zegras

One of the most exciting players in the league, the 21-year-old center exudes creativity when he is on the ice, regularly attempting – and succeeding – lacrosse-style goals, making between the legs shots and passes and that makes him highly marketable. It also earned him an invite to All-Star Weekend, just so he could put on a show, but for all of his audacity with the puck, Zegras can still develop a more complete game as he moves towards his peak years. One notable area for improvement is in the faceoff circle, as he won just 39.9% of his draws last season. Zegras was the runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting after scoring 61 points in 75 games, finishing the season with 17 points in his last 18 games, and he is going to be expected to carry a big portion of the offensive load for Anaheim, at least when it comes to playmaking. While it would be tempting to envision Zegras as a premier scorer as soon as this season, he is not there yet, so 70 points would still be a strong output in his second full NHL season.

ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 03: Anaheim Ducks rightwing Troy Terry (61) gets set to pass with pressure from St. Louis Blues defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) during a NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues on May 03, 2021, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire),

Troy Terry

The skilled winger erupted for a career-high 37 goals and 67 points in 2021-2022, having never scored more than 20 points in any previous season. He is not likely to continue scoring on more than 19% of his shots, as he did last season, but Terry did increase his shot volume and that offers a more sustainable path to increased production. Terry has remarkably few hits – 18 in 204 career games – and yet has established his credentials as both a finisher and a quality two-way winger. The biggest challenge might be finding the same kind of chemistry that he had with the now-retired center Ryan Getzlaf. Terry is a fascinating case when it comes to projections because last season’s scoring was so far beyond anything that he had done before in the NHL, yet he was scoring at an impressive clip in college and the American Hockey League, before reaching the NHL It’s reasonable to suspect that he will not score 37 goals and 67 points, but how far will he regress? 55-60 points seems a reasonable range.

Adam Henrique

Even though he has won at least 55.0% of his faceoffs in each of the past three seasons, Henrique has been playing more on the wing at this point in his career. The 32-year-old is a five-time 20-goal scorer who tallied 19 goals in 58 games last season. His 2.43 shots on goal per game last season was a career high. The veteran forward has improved his ability to drive play in recent seasons and he is an above average finisher, scoring on better than 15% of his shots on goal over the course of his career and never recording a full season with a shooting percentage under 12%. Henrique’s name lands in trade rumors quite a bit but the Ducks have plenty of reason to keep a proven veteran scorer to help ease the pressure on their younger talent. Even if Henrique could contribute 20 goals and 40 points that would have some value.

Ryan Strome

Signed as a free agent to anchor the Ducks’ second line, Strome is coming off the third season of his career during which he recorded at least 50 points, and he had a career-high 21 goals. He struggles in the faceoff circle, winning 45.3% of draws for his career. Strome has enjoyed his greatest success when skating on a line with star winger Artemi Panarin, and it might be difficult to find that kind of talent on the Ducks roster. Strome, 29, is not especially fast or strong, so he stands out with a heady approach to the game and solid playmaking. Strome might find it difficult to score as much in Anaheim, without having a star like Artemi Panarin on his wing, but a 45-point season should still be within his reach.

Frank Vatrano

Although he fell out of the Florida Panthers’ lineup last season, Vatrano thrived upon being traded to the New York Rangers, scoring eight goals and 13 points with 56 shots on goal in 22 games. The 28-year-old winger has been a strong shot generator for much of his career and while the sturdy winger is not the fastest skater, he is also not afraid to bang bodies on the forecheck and go to the high traffic areas necessary to get scoring chances. Vatrano should find a spot in Anaheim’s top six, which will provide an opportunity that is practically unprecedented in his career for him to play significant minutes and continue putting pucks on net. While Vatrano was with the Rangers last season, he played 71:30 with Ryan Strome during 5-on-5 play and the results were disastrous, including 34.2% Corsi and 36.2% of expected goals. Vatrano has never scored 40 points in an NHL season and that may not change this season, but he should be counted on to contribute 15-20 goals.

Isac Lundestrom

Although the 22-year-old has taken some time to establish his credentials as a full-time NHL player, he did have something of a breakthrough season in 2021-2022, scoring a career high 16 goals and 29 points. Some of that production was inflated by Lundestrom scoring on a career high 19.3% of his shots on goal, but it was a sign of progress and Lundestrom has room to improve offensively. Defensively, he is mature beyond his years and is already a reliable checking center, though like other Ducks centers, Lundestrom struggles in the faceoff dot, winning 45.0% of his faceoffs throughout his career. As the Ducks embark on a rebuilding process, Lundestrom’s development as a third-line center ought to be a priority. Maybe Lundestrom’s shooting percentage will fall, and his track record indicates that there is a definite ceiling on how much he will score, but he could still challenge for 30 points with some positive regression related to his on-ice shooting percentage.

Maxime Comtois

A power forward who has some skill and is eager to play a physical role, Comtois is coming off a down season in which his ice time, goal and point production all collapsed. It was a surprising development after he had 33 points in 55 games the year before. The 23-year-old was substantially better in 2020-2021, going hard to the net and finding soft spots in the defense so that he would be in scoring position. He opened the 2021-2022 season with zero points in his first 11 games and the season never really got on track after that because Comtois’ ice time was cut, and he was left scrambling as he tried to catch up. He has shown that he can be a contributor at this level, but he is now in the position of trying to recapture that early career success, so there is some element of pressure on him going into the 2022-2023 season. If Comtois can stay in the lineup, he could contribute 15 goals and 30-plus points and he has the tools to provide even more if he finds the right fit in the Ducks lineup.

Jakob Silfverberg

A blood clot limited the 31-year-old winger to 53 games last season, and he managed just five goals, scoring on a career-low 4.2% of his shots on goal. Throughout his career, Silfverberg has been a reliable shot generator who has four 20-goal seasons to his credit. Combined with a quality defensive game, he has been a solid middle six winger for close to a decade, playing at least 16:57 per game for seven straight seasons, but his offensive production has started to wane, and health has become more of an issue in recent seasons. On a young Ducks squad, however, there should be a role for a healthy Silfverberg, but considering how his past two seasons have gone, don’t expect more than 30 points.

Max Jones

A torn pectoral muscle meant that Jones saw action in just two games last season, which was not ideal for his development, but the 24-year-old has shown that he can be an effective depth winger, albeit one that has managed 28 points in 137 career games. From the Ducks’ perspective, they would like to get Jones healthy and then maybe find out if he has enough skill to hold a role in the top nine. He has played 13:56 per game in his career but the lack of production in those minutes suggests that Jones still has something to prove if he is going to receive that much ice time. So far, his top end is a dozen points in a season so if he could produce 20 points and stay healthy, that would have to be considered progress. Jones can be a physical presence – he has 184 hits in 107 games over the past three seasons – and he will fight, too, but if his career is going to have any staying power, he needs to stay healthy and contribute something offensively.

DEFENSE

John Klingberg

Following a disappointing offseason in which he could not find a suitable long-term contract as a free agent, the 30-year-old right-handed power play quarterback signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Ducks, which feels a lot like a make-good deal for a blueliner who still generates offense at an elite level, but whose defensive play has declined in recent seasons. Klingberg has played more than 22 minutes per game for seven consecutive seasons and has 97 power play points since 2017-2018, which ranks seventh among NHL defensemen. He should give the Ducks power play a boost this season, at least until he gets shopped to a contender before the trade deadline, and if he produces 45 points that would set Klingberg up to cash in as a free agent next summer.

Cam Fowler

A reliable veteran defenseman who is not outstanding at any one thing but does a lot of things well and that makes him a legit top pair defenseman. Fowler scored a career high 42 points last season, thanks in part to 18 points on the power play, his most with the man advantage since scoring 23 power play points as a rookie in 2010-2011. He has matured into a quality player and the 30-year-old defenseman is the one player that the Ducks were willing to invest in long term. For a young team that is almost assuredly going to make its share of mistakes, Fowler’s steady hand is essential. Klingberg’s arrival is likely to reduce Fowler’s impact on the power play, but he should still be able to provide 35 points in addition to his defensive value.

Kevin Shattenkirk

The 33-year-old right-shot defenseman can still move the puck and last season’s 35 points was his most since 2016-2017. However, his defensive performance also declined last season and the overall results with Shattenkirk on the ice were not as strong as they have been in the past. He has never been a bruiser on the back end, but Shattenkirk did record a career-high 135 blocked shots last season, a slightly different contribution from a player whose reputation has been built on strong play driving results and effective work on the power play. His offensive contributions may be sliding at this point, but Shattenkirk could still find his way to 30 points, a threshold he has reached eight times in his career.

Jamie Drysdale

A brilliant skater and dynamic puck moving defenseman, the 20-year-old still has room to grow and will need a more well-rounded game if he is going to maximize his impact. Nevertheless, even with some defensive shortcomings, Drysdale showed some positive signs in his second NHL season and given his age his career ascent should continue. With the Ducks bringing in Klingberg, they can be patient with the sixth pick in the 2020 Draft. Drysdale’s development does not need to be rushed in the short term, so maybe he scores 35-plus points, a little improvement on his rookie season, but not necessarily the explosion that could come in another year or two. Ideally, for the Ducks, his play without the puck will get steadier, too.

GOALTENDING

John Gibson

The underlying numbers for a few years now have been warning the Anaheim Ducks that goaltender John Gibson, once capable of carrying the team’s success on his back, had finally reached a point where he needed a break. It took until this past season for the raw data to catch up – but sure enough, the Ducks will enter the 2022-23 season unsure of just what their goaltending can do to save them, a position they haven’t really found themselves in for just shy of a decade.

The biggest concern with Gibson is that it’s hard to tell whether he’s suffering from physical wear and tear or if he’s starting to simply mentally fatigue after so many years of facing high-volume shot loads behind the Anaheim defense. He’s always embodied an unhurried structure combined with a quick mental read of the game, economizing his movements and staying low and deep to goad shooters into thinking they’ve got an easy shot on net. It seemed like that worked for him, right up until it didn’t; over the last year, he looked less unhurried and more delayed in his cross-crease movements, and he lacked that extra level of explosive movement upon arrival in position to snag errant shots and take up space that shooters didn’t think he could. If that’s simply due to too much time spent playing a physically demanding position behind a team that wasn’t giving him much help, it seems reasonable to hope that he can bounce back with the team’s continued rebuild; if he’s struggling to stay sharp in reading his opponents because he’s hit his capacity after the last few years, it’s much harder to predict whether or not he can bounce back. His biggest struggles seemed to come with tracking quick cross-ice puck movement fast enough to get his body across the net upon a shot release, and in using his hands to stop shots without opening up holes around his torso; while he certainly wasn’t being given enough support to pin the year entirely on him, it was a noticeable enough slump that it’s worth wondering whether or not we’ve started to witness his decline. If that’s the case, that’s bad news for Anaheim – they’re hoping to take tangible steps forward in their rebuild efforts, and Gibson is still under contract for another four years after this one. That’s not a problem if he plateaus at merely good instead of elite – the team could always use him to guide a newcomer like Calle Clang or Lukas Dostal in the final years of his career – but if he continues to trend down, they’ll need to make a tough decision about what he still has in the tank and whether or not he’s still a good fit for the franchise.

Projected starts: 50-55

Anthony Stolarz

It’s a satisfying feeling to watch former Philadelphia Flyers prospect Anthony Stolarz really find his stride in the NHL for Anaheim, even as it feels tough to watch his tandem partner John Gibson struggle. Stolarz, a roller hockey-raised New Jersey native who wowed scouts when he burst onto the scene as a late bloomer with the London Knights a decade ago, proved in his first full season as an NHL backup that he was worth the wait; his .917 raw save percentage and .672 quality start percentage through a 28-game campaign for Anaheim were good enough to consider him one of the most underrated backups in the league. Now, he’ll be back to prove that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan; he’s signed through the season on an incredibly agreeable $950,000 contract to tandem with Gibson and hopefully help the Ducks look a little more promising in the tumultuous Pacific Division.

Stolarz is such a fascinating goaltender to watch because his late start is still so apparent in his style, which makes his natural talent all the more obvious to observers. He looms over opponents at a whopping 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds but doesn’t play deep in his net like most larger netminders; instead, he showcases a lot of natural agility challenging opponents and pushing across the crease with plenty of speed to make sprawling saves and flashy highlight-reel second stops. His lack of consistent, formal technique make it hard to feel confident that he’s got true starter potential, especially as NHL shooters start to figure him out; he remains a little too easy to goad into challenging the wrong man on the ice, leaving him forced to make desperation saves in moments where he probably could have gotten the job done in a much simpler way. But for the moment, he keeps his opponents guessing enough that he’s able to suss out what they want to do during their moments of hesitation. He doesn’t mind getting aggressive, either, which can force shooters in close to release shots too quickly in an attempt to keep the puck away from him; it’s a high-stress style to watch, but it may just be the energy and morale boost that the Ducks need while they let GIbson work his way back from a year that disappointingly looked just ‘okay’.

Projected starts: 25-30

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Notable Early Season Performances

Scott Cullen — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:54:36 +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, some notable performance early in the season, including from veterans Anze Kopitar, Steven Stamkos, and Erik Karlsson. There are notes on Jesse Puljujarvi, Jordan Kyrou, Joel Farabee, Eeli Tolvanen, and more.

#1 The early scoring leader in the NHL is Anze Kopitar, and while he is not going to score at the same pace (eight points in three games) over the long haul, there are reasons to be optimistic about his production. For one, he has 13 shots on goal in three games (4.33 per game) and four of his five goals have been scored at even strength. In the past five seasons, Kopitar has averaged only 2.08 shots on goal per game so if he is going to increase his shot output (and it’s far too early to know if this increase is for real) then Kopitar could be much more dangerous offensively.

#2 No one is going to feel bad for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team that has won back-to-back Stanley Cups, but with Nikita Kucherov likely out for a significant amount of time, they will once again have to generate offense while missing one of the premier scoring threats in the game. Fortunately, the Lightning do have Steven Stamkos, who has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in four games and has 16 shots on goal in those four games. It is well established that Stamkos is one of the premier shooters in the game but if he would keep the volume up and stay healthy, he could still be one of the top goal-scorers again. Stamkos is just two seasons removed from a 45-goal campaign in 2018-2019.

#3 The past couple of seasons in San Jose have been less than ideal for defenseman Erik Karlsson but his first couple of games this year have brought some interesting results. For one thing, he has four points (1 G, 3 A) but Karlsson also averaged 19:54 of ice time in those two games. He played 20:07 per game as a rookie, in 2008-2009, the only season in his career in which Karlsson has played less than 23 minutes per game.

#4 Early returns for the Detroit Red Wings have been more encouraging than might have been anticipated and part of the reason is that Tyler Bertuzzi has scored five goals in three games. It might be worth fantasy managers considering the idea of selling high on Bertuzzi because he has scored those five goals on eight shots, a sizzling 62.5% shooting percentage. There is also the matter of him missing the games in Canada because he is not vaccinated, a situation that will start this weekend when the Red Wings are in Montreal.

BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) looks to the wing during Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals on May 19, 2021, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

#5 With Washington star centre Nicklas Backstrom sidelined to start the season, the Capitals needed Evgeny Kuznetsov to step up as the number one centre and he has responded in a big way. Playing more than 20 minutes per game, Kuznetsov has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 11 shots on goal in three games. As long as Backstrom remains out of the lineup, Kuznetsov ought to be in the spotlight for the Capitals.

#6 There is always optimism for someone who is expected to skate alongside Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi is no different. He had a career-high 25 points (15 G, 10 A) in 55 games last season so while there is optimism it tends to come with some limits. Puljujarvi might be ready to push beyond those limits, though. His ice time is up to 17:40 per game and he has contributed six points (2 G, 4 A) and 10 shots on goal in three games.

#7 St. Louis Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou got off to a quick start last season, scoring 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in the first 10 games, and he has burst out of the gate this season, too, producing seven points (2 G, 5 A) and eight shots on goal in three games. The Blues have a lot of scoring depth, but Kyrou is pushing to secure a bigger role.

#8 Anaheim Ducks right winger Jakob Silfverberg had been a reliable second-line scorer for quite a while before he managed just 16 points in 47 games last season. He had ranged between 39 and 49 points in each of the previous six seasons. Silfverberg is off to a productive start this season, putting up six points (1 G, 5 A) and 13 shots on goal in the first four games, playing with Isac Lundestrom and Mason McTavish initially, Sam Steel has since stepped in for the injured McTavish.

#9 Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee is another player who had a fantastic start last season, producing four points (1 G, 3 A) on opening night and 19 points (10 G, 9 A) in his first 19 games. He is sizzling hot to start this season, too, with six points (3 G, 3 A) and eight shots on goal in the first three games.

CALGARY, AB - OCTOBER 24: Florida Panthers Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) skates to the bench between whistles during the third period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the Florida Panthers on October 24, 2019, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)

#10 When the Florida Panthers announced before the start of the season that Sergei Bobrovsky would be their No. 1 netminder, skepticism reigned and justifiably so. Bobrovsky signed a seven-year, $70 million contract in the summer of 2019 and followed that with a .902 save percentage in 81 games for the Panthers over the next two seasons. But in the seven seasons before signing that big ticket, when he was in Columbus, Bobrovsky had a .921 save percentage and won two Vezina Trophies, so he has some pedigree. He has also stopped 72 of 77 shots (.935 SV%) in two starts, but Bobrovsky may be looking over his shoulder at rookie Spencer Knight all season, or at least until Knight overtakes him for the starting job.

#11 Last season was a relative disappointment for San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier, who scored on just 7.7% of his shots on his way to 31 points (12 G, 19 A) in 54 games. The Sharks have only played two games this season but in those two games, Meier has four points (1 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal. Even among the small samples that we are dealing with this early in the season, the two-game samples are especially small, but it is encouraging if Meier is going to be generating shots at a high level, even if it is not going to be at the rate of 7.50 per game.

#12 One of the players that I liked for the Seattle Kraken coming into this season was Jared McCann, who rode some high percentages on his way to 32 points (14 G, 18 A) in 43 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. While there is likely going to be some regression in his percentages, McCann is also looking at more ice time with the Kraken and he has produced five points (3 G, 2 A) in five games to start the season. He started the season centering Seattle’s first line but has moved to left wing on the second line since Yanni Gourde made his season debut in Tuesday’s loss at New Jersey.

#13 Injuries have hit the Vegas Golden Knights hard, especially on the top line, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone are both injured. Enter Evgenii Dadonov, who had a rough time in Ottawa last season, but he is a three-time 25-goal scorer and he led Vegas forwards in even strength ice time (16:30) during Wednesday’s loss to St. Louis.

#14 While the Toronto Maple Leafs have not been scoring a lot as a team, right winger William Nylander has picked up where he left off in the playoffs last season. Through four games this season, Nylander has four points (2 G, 2 A) along with 18 shots on goal and he has been the Maple Leafs’ most consistently dangerous offensive player. Now that Auston Matthews has returned to the Toronto lineup, Nylander gets an upgrade at centre, with John Tavares moving back to his more familiar slot.

#15 Nashville Predators winger Eeli Tolvanen made his mark as a rookie last season, scoring 22 points (11 G, 11 A) in 40 games but there was reason to be suspicious about his production because he had managed a modest 65 shots on goal, not enough volume to expect him to be a consistent scoring threat. While Tolvanen has just one goal in three games to start this season, he has put 16 shots on goal in those three games. If he can improve his shot rate, even if it’s not going to continue at more than five per game, it would be easier to buy Tolvanen having sustainable production.

#16 Tyler Toffoli was the Montreal Canadiens most dangerous forward – possibly their best player – last season and he has been held without a point as Montreal has lost its first four games this season. Not all hope is lost, however, as Toffoli has generated 12 shots on goal and that is consistent with his shot rate (2.95 per game) across the past four seasons. Throughout his career, Toffoli has seen fluctuating shooting percentages, ranging from a career-low 5.8% in 2018-2019 to 17.7%, a career high that he set last season. The most reasonable outcome is for his shooting percentage to fall somewhere in the middle of that range.

#17 The Edmonton Oilers have put goaltender Mike Smith in the injured list, which suddenly makes Mikko Koskinen very important in the Oilers’ plans. Koskinen struggled last season, finishing with an .899 save percentage in 26 games, so the Oilers desperately needed Smith to play well. And he did. But now, Koskinen has an opportunity and if he could even play like he did in his first two seasons for the Oilers, when he had a .911 save percentage in 93 games, he could offer some value while Smith is on the shelf.

#18 Hopes are high for Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras, a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie after scoring 13 points in 24 games for the Ducks last season. Zegras has just one assist and 10 shots on goal in four games this season but that might make him a decent buy-low candidate. The Ducks focus this season has to be on the development of young players and finding out if Zegras can become a No. 1 centre should be part of that process.

#19 As with any of these statistics, a super small sample size warning is assumed, but among forwards that have played at least 15 5-on-5 minutes, Calgary Flames centre Sean Monahan has the highest expected goals for per 60 minutes (5.88), which indicates that the Flames have at least been getting quality chances when Monahan has been on the ice. So, naturally, he was demoted to fourth line at Flames practice. Always remember, coaching decisions can alter a player’s outlook in an instant.

#20 I do not know just how much credence to put into the 3-0 start of the Buffalo Sabres – I suspect not much – but if the Sabres are going to be more competitive than expected, maybe there will be some potential fantasy value on that roster. Veteran wingers Kyle Okposo (2 G, 1 A) and Jeff Skinner (1 G, 2 A) are among the players contributing early and they might be worth considering, at least in deeper leagues.

Pacific Coast – Anaheim Ducks 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 20:36:01 +0000

Review/State of Play - Finished with their fifth straight 100 point season getting swept in the first round by San Jose after making it to the conference finals two out of the three previous years. It was an impressive achievement given injuries would plague their veteran players with Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Cam Fowler all missing meaningful time. They represent $30.25 million in cap space and a significant factor in any further success this season. There have been some promising young pieces emerging, but the window is closing on this forward group.

GM Bob Murray largely stood pat over the summer except for minor depth additions, despite professing the need to become a faster team. Faithful to coach Randy Carlyle, often the target of criticism for a throw back style of coaching that doesn’t seem to fit the offseason narrative of Murray. In the bottom of the third of the league in CF% with 48.62, he may succeed in getting the club into the postseason, but are they built to succeed, particularly when other strong teams have added significant pieces to challenge?

Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67)

Growing internally – There were some encouraging signs of internal growth of younger players. Rickard Rakell definitively established that last season’s breakout was real and hit new highs in goals (36) and points (69) to lead the team in scoring, after Getzlaf had the honor for the prior six seasons. He finished 10^th in the league in 5v5 goals with 22. He tied for third last season with 26 and is behind only Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews over the two seasons combined. He led the team in scoring with eight goals on an anemic Anaheim power play (tied for second last in power play goals scored).

The emergence of young defenders 26-year-old Josh Manson and 24-year old rookie Brandon Montaur as impactful regulars was key last season. Manson led the backend in scoring with 37 points, all but one of them coming at even strength. He also anchors the shutdown pairing alongside 24-year-old Hampus Lindholm and led the team in shorthanded time on ice. Montour produced 32 points and played over twenty minutes a game leading the team in power play time on ice and points (18). They form one of the strongest core of young defenders in the league when including 26-year-old Cam Fowler.

The biggest development last season came from 24-year old goaltender John Gibson. He turned in an outstanding season and was one of the best keepers in the league from January on posting the leagues second best save percentage (0.937) and third in GAA (1.95) for goalies who played 10 games or more – he was first among tenders who had played 20 games. He was instrumental in keeping the franchise playoff bound and among the top ten teams in the league.

The spectre of age and injury loom - Corey Perry is drawing a cap hit of $8.625 million and at 33 years of age his 30 goal seasons appear to be over after not achieving 20 in the past two seasons. A rebound may be a reach, and his contract remains an albatross with a no trade clause. Ryan Kesler, also 33 years old, had a tough season after hip surgery and a December debut. He did not seem to get back to form entirely by seasons end and there are reports he is in intensive rehab and talk of missing the season entirely. Patrick Eaves missed all but two games last season and whether he can contribute at his past level remains to be seen.

Adam Henrique at 28-years-old added some depth up the middle after being acquired for Sami Vatanen and scored 20 goals for the Ducks in the final 57 games. He brings speed, work ethic and good hockey sense entering his prime. He rounds out a solid experienced group up front. They signed 30-year-old Brian Gibbons on a one year contract in the offseason - having previously played and showed chemistry with Adam Henrique.

Outlook - They enter this season with a similar line up to last season but did add experience and depth on the back end in Andrej Sustr and Luke Schenn, both on low cost one-year contracts ($1.3 million and $800,000 respectively). They replace veteran Francois Beauchemin.

Third in the league in goals against with an improved defense and three solid lines up front when healthy the Ducks have some factors in their favour for another appearance in the playoffs. A sweep in the playoffs exposed their lack of speed and could not produce offense when called upon.

They have made no significant improvements to a weak offense that is reliant on an aging superstar. The power play in desperate need of help did not receive any. The are placing their hopes that a healthy Eakins and Kesler along with general good health amongst the veterans along with an emerging young group will carry them further. A strategy that should see a further, if slow, decline this season.

Training Camp Notes/Updates – September 27th, 2017

Ryan Dadoun — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 21:03:59 +0000

Anaheim

Patrick Eaves – He hasn’t been skating due to a lower-body injury and hasn’t played in a preseason game yet. The hope is to get him into a practice and then an exhibition contest, but at this point it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Corey Perry/Ryan Getzlaf – It looks like they might enter the season paired together, possibly with Eaves if he’s healthy.

Rickard Rakell – I mentioned in the last notes that Antoine Vermette might end up centering Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg in Kesler’s absence. However, that role might go to Rakell instead so that’s a situation to monitor.

Arizona

Louis Domingue – Suffered an upper-body injury on Monday and was consequently yanked, though the Coyotes said it was for “precautionary reasons.” I don’t think they’ve updated his status since then, but of course if that injury ends up being more serious then Arizona might need to open the season with a different backup goaltender (Marek Langhamer maybe? I don’t know if Hunter Miska’s an option straight out of the NCAA).

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Sustained a knee injury and is day-to-day as a result. He needed to be helped off the ice at the time, but fortunately it looks like it’s not too serious. He’s questionable for the opener though.

Boston

Charlie McAvoy – As mentioned last time, Torey Krug will miss the start of the preseason with a jaw injury. It looks like McAvoy will see increased power-play responsibilities as a result. Krug could miss as little as three regular season games, but it’s also possible that he’ll miss significantly more (what we know is that he’ll be out a minimum of three weeks from Sept. 20).

Buffalo

Jake McCabe – McCabe is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, but Sabres coach Phil Housley is still optimistic that of his chances of being available for the opener so we’ll see.

Alexander Nylander – I mentioned last time that he hadn’t skated due to a lower-body injury sustained on Sept. 8. He’s apparently starting to feel better, but he’s already missed a big chunk of training camp.

Calgary

Michael Stone – He might end up on the third pairing as T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic seem to be the likely second unit while Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton will probably be the first pairing. Stone’s offensive contributions this season could be rather limited.

Chicago

Patrick Sharp – Not sure if this is worth mentioning because of the uncertainty attached to it, but Sharp did practice on a line with Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Kane on Sunday. However, he’s also been experimented on as part of the third line with Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman so it’s still unclear if Sharp will get the opportunity to start the campaign in a top-six role.

Columbus

Nick Foligno – He served as a center on Sunday while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pierre-Luc Dubois were his wingers. Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said he wanted to keep looking at Foligno as a center, but this could just be one of those training camp experiments that go nowhere as far as the regular season is concerned.

Alexander Wennberg – Not that it comes as a big surprise, but it’s looking like he might open the season on a line with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. That’s a line that would have a lot of potential fantasy value.

Dallas

Martin Hanzal – He’s been dealing with an ankle injury, but he got into his first practice of training camp on Saturday and is likely to appear in the Stars’ last preseason game, so it looks like he’ll be fine for the start of the regular season.

Detroit

Tyler Bertuzzi – Is out three-to-four weeks (as of Sept. 23) because of wrist inflammation. He was a candidate to make the squad out of training camp, but now he might end up starting in the AHL once he’s healthy.

Martin Frk – Between Bertuzzi getting hurt and Andreas Athanasiou being unsigned, Frk might end up making the squad. Might not be fantasy relevant information, though he did have 50 points in 65 AHL games last season.

Edmonton

Kailer Yamamoto – Has five goals and six points in four preseason games. He’s making a stronger case for a roster spot than anticipated, but his small size and the fact that the Oilers aren’t exactly hurting for skilled forwards right now could still result in him being returned to the WHL. The odds of him at least getting a nine-game trail have gone up though. Also, for what it’s worth, he did practice with Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon on Tuesday, though I’d sooner bet on Ryan Strome getting the third spot on that top line.

Los Angeles

Marian Gaborik – He’s making progress in his rehab from a knee injury and has practiced with the Kings, but he’s not fully cleared yet. I’m not sure if he’s going to end up playing in the opener or not.

Minnesota

Tyler Ennis – For what it’s worth, Ennis is aiming to get back to scoring 20 goals a season, provided he can stay healthy. In addition to his injury history though, the other road block is that he’s likely to start the season in a bottom-six role.

Montreal

Jonathan Drouin – Didn’t play on Monday due to an upper-body injury. He’s day-to-day, so perhaps he’ll be fine by the time the season starts.

New Jersey

Nico Hischier – I mentioned last time that he’s been a training camp standout and that’s continued with him netting a goal and an assist on Monday, giving him four points in three preseason games. As always training camp stats are an unreliable metric, but he’s certainly helping to drive up the intrigue that surrounds a first overall pick.

NY Rangers

Filip Chytil – Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has been impressed by Chytil to the point where there’s a real shot of him making the team. It might just be for a nine-game trial, but it’d still be impressive for an 18-year-old, 21st overall pick.

Lias Andersson – Similar to Chytil, Andersson has caught Vigneault’s attention and is in the running to make the squad at the age of 18. That said, he didn’t play in Tuesday’s preseason game because of a sore foot from a shot he blocked on Monday.

Ottawa

Erik Karlsson – Resumed skating on Saturday, but he was rested for a little while after that. The plan was to have him skate again today (Wednesday). There’s still a chance that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season, but obviously time is running out in that regard.

Philadelphia

Claude Giroux – I mentioned last time that Claude Giroux was being tested out in practice as a left winger. On Monday the Flyers pushed that experiment to the next level by having him play in a preseason game as a winger alongside Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers stuck with that line for Tuesday’s contest as well. If Giroux does start the campaign as a left winger then Couturier would be the big benefactor as he’ll be moving from a potential third- to first-line role.

Pittsburgh

Kris Letang – Got into Sunday’s preseason game, which was his first contest since Feb. 21. Letang was happy with how it went, but the main thing is that he’s got that behind him.

San Jose

Joel Ward – He hasn’t gotten into a preseason game yet after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. He’s been practicing though and the Sharks do have three exhibition contests left, so he still has time to test his shoulder before the regular season starts.

St. Louis

Robby Fabbri – Will miss the entire 2017-18 season, the St. Louis Blues announced after re-injuring his surgically repaired knee. A huge blow to banged up Blues.

Tampa Bay

Brayden Point – The Lightning have been experimenting with a top line of Point, Steven Stamkos, and Nikita Kucherov. Point seems to be the one most likely to benefit from that arrangement if that trio is still together once the regular season starts.

Vancouver

Brock Boeser – He’s been tested on the top line with the Sedin twins and that could end up being his role at the start of the season. For what it’s worth, Boeser has four goals and six points in three preseason games.

Vegas

James Neal – He’s been making progress in his recovery from a hand injury and that included participating in Tuesday’s practice. It’s still not clear if he’ll be ready for the season opener though.

Vadim Shipachyov – He might end up headlining the top line that could also feature Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. Not sure if Neal being healthy would change that any.

Washington

Evgeny Kuznetsov – Given that Marcus Johansson is no longer with the Capitals, it’s looking like Kuznetsov will enter the season on their top power-play unit.

SITTING DUCKS – 2017-18 Yearbook

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:05:10 +0000

Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67). (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Review/State of Play - The Anaheim Ducks made it to Western Conference final for the second time in three years. After five straight division titles it is an organization that feels it is close to the ultimate Stanley Cup goal and largely stood pat in the off-season. Randy Carlyle was rewarded for his success with a contract extension.

There were no major departures from the line-up that finished the season with 105 points (46-23-13) and won their division. Trade rumours and speculation swirled much of the season around their enviable group of young defensemen in Cam Fowler (25), Sami Vatanen (26), Hampus Lindholm (23), and Josh Manson (25) or who they would have to expose or in the expansion draft or trade. Instead GM Bob Murray made a deal with Vegas sending prospect Shea Theodore in exchange for them drafting Clayton Stoner and his $3.25 million dollar cap hit freeing up cap space. The rise of prospect Brandon Montour on the horizon helped facilitate the move.

Anaheim Ducks rightwing Patrick Eaves (18)(Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)

Right up against the cap that relief was welcome and allowed them to sign Patrik Eaves for three years at 3.15 million. He was acquired prior to the trade deadline from Dallas, ostensibly as a rental but clicked effectively with Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell firing seven goals at even strength in 20 games (11 total) before being shut down with a high ankle sprain and only appearing in seven playoff games.

Standing pat behind vets Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler - Ryan Getzlaf was quite simply a beast this season and took it to another level in the playoffs. A continuing attempt to separate Perry and Getzlaf is ongoing to provide matchup headaches for other teams. It would give them three strong lines as they own one of the best two way lines in the league in Andrew Cogliano, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Kesler is an elite face-off man and a defensive specialist. A competitor that will get up the nose of opponents.

Corey Perry had a down season offensively with a paltry 19 goals, but shot at 8.8% while averaging over 15% in shooting percentage the last three seasons and owning a career 13.2%. At his career rate he would have scored 28 and had a shot at a fourth season over 30 goals. There is talk he played through an injury but it has not been confirmed.

Kesler and Getzlaf are 33 and 32 years old, respectively, but showing no signs of slowing down and will be a threat next season. Perry, also 32, should rebound, but snipers tend to fade faster as they get older. In projecting the 2017-18 season you need to take in the urgency factor. This is a confident team that knows what it wants and age will not be a factor among the leadership group for the coming season, injury concerns aside.

The emergence of 24-year old Richard Rakell with a surprising 33 goals (albeit on a 18.6% shooting percentage), along with a second 20 goal season from 26-year old Jakob Silfverberg, were important stories in providing scoring balance. Silfverberg has distinguished himself as a playoff warrior contributing 37 points in 40 playoff games over the last three seasons.

If 21-year old power winger with a goal scoring touch Nick Ritchie can make a similar transformation in his third NHL season, he adds another weapon down the lineup. He contributed 14 in his sophomore campaign so another 20 goal scorer would give the Ducks more than adequate attack over three lines

Gibson’s time - They also added veteran goaltender Ryan Miller to provide some relief for John Gibson and as an insurance policy in case of injury. The 37-year old veteran appeared in 54 games last season and represents an upgrade from Jonathan Bernier. If the 24-year old falters in his fourth NHL season, 16 -17 being his first as the starter, the vet will ready to take a heavier load. Gibson has flashed signs of being a dominant goalie and emerging as the starter this season would go a long way to sealing the deal in Anaheim.

If goaltending is successful, and the forward group delivers, they also ice one of the best young defense groups in the league. They are all responsible defensively, and mobile with some offensive chops. Both Vatanen and Lindholm suffered off-season shoulder injuries so monitor their recovery through training camp.

Outlook: Injuries and the endurance of their veterans are the only questions that will stop them from contending for their division title again and reaching for the Stanley Cup.

NHL Playoff Preview: Anaheim Ducks (1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1)

Daniel Friedman and Robert Howard — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 23:49:24 +0000

Summary: This may be the most interesting series in the first round. You've got a pair of very capable offenses going head-to-head, and the possibility for a major upset – if Pekka Rinne can return to his former glory – and wins the battle against unproven sophomore John Gibson – this is a closer series than first appears.

The offenses matchup over four lines, and they both have good, mobile defense - giving an edge to Weber and Josi as the top pair in the NHL. Some key battles will decide the series, none more important than goaltending. The Nashville forwards need to continue their late season production against the Jennings Trophy winner.

PREDICTION: Anaheim in 7 (note: Daniel is calling for a Nashville win in 7 games, for a spoiler pick)

Key Injuries: ANA – Frederik Andersen had a late season concussion, plus a number of day to day injuries expected to be back for the playoffs, including Gibson, Kesler, Bieksa and Rakell. and Perron – They are a little banged up. NSH – nothing major.

Critical Factors: The addition of Ryan Johansen has given Nashville the big center they have coveted, and he and James Neal are finding some chemistry heading into the playoffs. Filip Forsberg continues his climb to a superstar and could be a difference-maker. Ryan Kesler provides secondary scoring (see Breakouts below), shutdown acumen, and a big game temperament. The emergence of Richard Rakell provides further depth. The Kesler/Johansen matchup could decide the series on its own, particularly if Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry begin to roll. Anaheim gets the edge on the top two lines, but the Nashville depth over four lines should not be underestimated with some veterans that can provide a gritty game, with timely goal-scoring. Both teams boast mobile, creative playmakers who contribute to the offense. Anaheim’s young, quick group, featuring Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm - all under 24 years of age (six starting defenseman altogether - seriously), and may be overmatched by Nashville with arguably the top pairing in the league in Shea Weber and Roman Josi - and their own young mobile defensemen emerging this season in Matias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Pekka Rinne tied for the 8^th worst save percentage this season with 0.908 and struggled. In 34 playoff starts he has a losing record and a save percentage of 0.914, - and finished with 0.901 SV% in March and April to raise further flags – contrasted with John Gibson’s 0.925 SV% over the same time period. The Ducks have gone 34-10- 5 after the Christmas break, overcoming adversity, and buying into a team first/defense first approach in the new year under Boudreau. Additions of Ryan Garbutt and Jamie McGinn mid-season bring more grit and defensive prowess over the third and fourth line.

Potential Break-out Players: Ryan Kesler has been on fire since January 1^st since a brutal start and has managed close to a point a game pace (43-17-24-41) since the New Year – remember he delivered 13 points in 16 games in last year’s playoffs. His linemate Jakob Silfverberg broke out last year in the playoffs and has been hot down the stretch, scoring 11 goals in 14 games (14-11-5-16). Filip Forsberg was a point a game in his last 30 games (30-19-15-34). Ryan Johansen finished with 18 points in 19 games (19-4-14-18). Roman Josi could make his statement as one of the elite defenseman in the league and step out of Shea Weber’s shadow (if he hasn’t already) – he finished the season at a superstar pace (30-4-22-26). David Perron was a good addition, scoring 20 points in 28 games as a Duck (28-8-12-20) and returns from injury in time for the playoffs.

Season Matchup: Nashville 2-1. Both wins were in regulation. Most significantly they have not met since November, with all three games at the start of the season, and they were very different teams then.

Key Stats:

CF% 5v5 (war-on-ice.com): ANA 52.4% (5^th) NSH 52.5% (4^th)

PDO (war-on-ice.com): ANA 99.0 (27^th) NSH 99.l5 (21^st)

Power Play (NHL.com): ANA 23.1% (1^st) NSH 19.7% (10^th)

Penalty Kill (NHL.com): ANA 87.2% (1^st) NSH 81.2% (16^th)

Goals For per-game (NHL.com): ANA 2.62 (17^th) NSH 2.73 (13^th)

Goals Against per-game (NHL.com): ANA 2.29 (1^st) NSH 2.60 (14^th)

Notes: Anaheim’s excellence on special teams, leading the NHL in both categories, provides a big advantage. While they are largely even on offense, Anaheim’s number one ranked defense could be the difference, depending on goaltending. Anaheim had the second worst Osh% (6.6) in the league over the season – from the start of 2016, they were 9^th (8.9) posting a ridiculously low 4.8 Osh% and 97.2 PDO before the New Year. Nashville were middle of the pack in both time periods (7.3 and 7.7).

2015-16 Yearbook: Under the radar fantasy all-stars

James Mirtle — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 12:14:14 +0000

Comeback players, rebound candidates, up-and-coming kids and settling-in sophomores: These are the sort of fantasy all-stars you want to be drafting in your pools. And it just so happens we’ve assembled an entire roster of them.

The basis for making the “under-the-radar” fantasy all-star team is that, quite simply, these players will likely fall further than they should in your draft. That is either because they are unproven, playing for poor or overlooked teams, or coming off of a bad season. But those kinds of gambles are exactly what can win your pool – assuming you’re the only one sharp enough to buy this unbelievable magazine.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that, in recent years, the NHL has become a young man’s league. Teams are increasingly playing players who are 25-and-under in big minutes, which means the likes of Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov are able to suddenly explode and make a team like the Lightning an offensive juggernaut.

So be sure to enter your draft with a good handle on the burgeoning talents out there, even if many didn’t star for Canada (or the U.S.) at the world juniors and aren’t yet household names.

Forwards

Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas. He missed all but eight games of the season with a devastating hip injury that wiped out his 19-year-old season, but Nichuschkin provides a tantalizing mix of skill with opportunity on one of the best offensive teams in the league. If he’s fully recovered, and if he can get back on track after a year away, a spot on a top line with two of the most potent offensive players in the league (Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin) awaits. The payoff could be enormous, as he has the tools to be a star.

Teuvo Teravainen and Marko Dano, Chicago. Patrick Kane’s legal situation – which was unresolved at press time – aside, there’s going to be opportunity on the defending champs this season. Teravainen and Dano (the key piece they received from Columbus in the Brandon Saad trade) are great examples, as they could both slide into top six roles to start the year and surprise. That’s certainly what GM Stan Bowman is banking on given the way he’s remade his roster to squeeze under the cap.

Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad, Florida. You could even add another two or three names from the Panthers here. Florida was rather pathetic offensively last season (25th), but things began to click late in the year when they added NHL greybeard Jaromir Jagr to the top line with Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. This is an organization that has been bad enough for long enough that they’ve accumulated some terrific young offensive talents; if several of them can put together breakout seasons at the same time, the Panthers could pile up far more goals than recent years. And they’re one of those teams often overlooked on draft day.

David Pastrnak, Boston. Even with the Bruins in disarray last season, the Czech rookie had an impressive North American debut. A better than point-a-game showing in the minors over 25 games turned into a nearly 50-point pace over a half season in the NHL. Now, minus Milan Lucic and with management attempting to get younger, he should be gifted more opportunity on a scoring line and be a key part of the Bruins attack.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington. The Capitals were the sixth highest scoring team in the NHL last season and could easily climb higher this time around, in large part thanks to better depth up front. Newcomers T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams are part of that, but what should make Washington a contender is the progress from their two burgeoning young weapons: Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. Both showed well in Year 1, but Kuznetsov is the more enticing fantasy pick given he should be given a key role on the team’s second line and has game-breaking talent. His nearly 17 minutes a game in the postseason was proof positive the coaching staff was beginning to trust him with a bigger role.

Teemu Pulkkinen, Detroit. A fourth round pick in 2010, Pulkkinen has been forced to go the patented long, slow Red Wings route through the system. Last year, however, he dominated the AHL to the point it made no sense for him to even be there, with 48 goals in 62 games between the regular season and a dominant playoffs (14 goals in 16 games). Detroit could have used even a fraction of those goals last season; this time around, he’ll get more of a chance – and under his AHL coach no less. A bit of a wild card but one with some upside.

Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim. After posting underwhelming totals in his first two seasons in Anaheim, the 24-year-old Swede put in a remarkable postseason, with 18 points in 16 games to cement a spot in the Ducks top six. Could mesh very well with countryman Carl Hagelin this season, too.

Nazem Kadri, Toronto. It’s going to be new coach Mike Babcock’s way or the highway in Toronto this year and that could go either way for Kadri, whose off-ice issues contributed heavily to the fact he signed only a one-year deal in the summer. The big question is if Tyler Bozak is traded either during training camp or early in the season, as that would free Kadri up to finally fill the first-line centre role, albeit without Phil Kessel there to help. Even without a trade, Kadri may get that chance. Either way, with more of a role on a power play, Kadri has 60-point potential. His 39 last year should be considered the low water mark, although this is a Leafs team that may not score a whole lot.

P-A Parenteau, Toronto. Parenteau is in a similar boat. He wasn’t well liked by his coach in either Colorado or Montreal, which limited his opportunities and offensive totals. But there’s a Kessel-sized hole on right wing with the Leafs, and Parenteau signed a bargain of a one-year deal there in order to try and cash in next July. If he produces, it benefits both parties, as Toronto can convert him into a pick or prospect at the deadline. Win-win.

Elias Lindholm, Carolina. A potential superstar who is going to breakthrough at some point. He nearly doubled his point totals last season even as the Hurricanes year went to hell in a hand basket, and Carolina is a dark horse of a rebound candidate given their all their unheralded young talent. Lindholm is still only 20 years old so his big leap may still be two or three years off. But it’s coming.

Sean Couturier, Philadelphia. Another young player with more to give offensively. It’s more a question of when than anything, and with Couturier, some of that is simply giving him less of an onerous defensive role and better linemates. But opportunity plays in, too, and he would easily break the 40-point barrier with more power play time. A new coach, with a better understanding of his gifts at the other end of the rink, could pay off for Couturier this year.

Tanner Pearson, Los Angeles. His season was completely derailed by injuries, but the key will be opportunity. It appears he’ll be right back in a second line role next season, and linemate Tyler Toffoli is set to breakout in a big way. The big question with Pearson is what exactly his ceiling is offensively, as he didn’t particularly dominate the AHL. Still, betting on 40 points and hoping for more is reasonable.

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota. The expectations are certainly for more than 40 points, especially given all his time on the top line with Zach Parise. But without top unit power play duty, Granlund isn’t likely to truly become an elite scorer. That said, he’s continued to make significant strides in his all-around game and should continue to be trusted with more minutes overall. If he’s healthy all year, topping 50 points should be a gimme.

Defencemen

Sami Vatanen, Anaheim. Vatanen missed 15 games and still finished 34th in scoring among defencemen in only his second NHL season. Prorated, he would have hit the 45-point mark. And that’s on a Ducks team that had the 28th ranked power play, despite loads of talent. Much of that was shooting percentage driven, which means Anaheim should pot more goals on the man advantage, which means good things for Vatanen, who could easily emerge as a top 10 quarterback this year.

Ryan Ellis, Nashville. Another young defenceman with similar offensive talent, Ellis’s main problem is he’s buried behind Shea Weber and Roman Josi and as a result is dealt second unit power play duties. Even so, he produced at a nearly 40-point pace last season and didn’t get there largely because of injury. At the very least, he’s going to produce more than six power play points this time around – especially if one of the big two misses any time.

Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh. No more Christian Ehrhoff. No more Paul Martin. The Penguins are going to be a dangerous offensive team with Kessel in the fold, and there’s loads of opportunity for some young defencemen. Maatta missed most of last season due to an awful run of injuries and illness, but he’s in line for huge minutes – potentially on the top pair with Kris Letang at even strength – and nearly double his power play workload with the other vets gone.

John Klingberg, Dallas. Klingberg already had his breakout and really should have been given more consideration for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year last season. This time around, he won’t start the year in the AHL; he’ll be on the Stars top unit both at even strength and the power play. And while his on-ice shooting percentage may take a dip, repeating his 40 points with what should be a deadly Dallas attack seems highly likely. And 50-plus isn’t out of the question.

Morgan Rielly, Toronto. Buyer beware given the Leafs roster. But Rielly has been quietly evolving into an offensive threat even as the ceiling caved in (multiple times) in Toronto and turning him into an elite weapon will be near the top of Babcock’s to-do list. Finding ice time shouldn’t be a problem given the competition, and without Cody Franson around, Rielly should be on the top power play unit from the start.

Oscar Klefbom, Edmonton. If the Oilers are going to climb out of the abyss, they’re going to need some surprises on the back end. Klefbom seems to be the best candidate on that front, although whether or not he is given much time on the man advantage remains to be seen. A long shot to pile up points given he wasn’t exactly a huge producer in the minors, Klefbom nonetheless is worth keeping an eye on in deeper pools.

Goaltenders

Martin Jones, San Jose. The Sharks are gambling here. If you’re similarly in the mood for a roll of the dice, this isn’t a bad one. Jones has started only 29 NHL games in his career, and all of them were behind the Kings stifling defence, but he put in 3.5 really solid seasons in the AHL, and despite going undrafted, had a decent junior career. San Jose made a huge commitment giving him a three-year, $9-million deal, which means at the very least Jones is going to give you a lot of starts on what remains a decent team.

Petr Mrazek, Detroit. Mrazek wrested the No. 1 duties from Jimmy Howard late last season, which sets up an interesting duel this year for the crease. Howard has four years remaining on a deal with a cap hit of more than $5-million, so he’ll be the favourite to get more starts, but Mrazek’s got a strong pedigree, a relationship with the new coach and age on his side (at eight years younger). Don’t expect him to sit 55-plus games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay. Ben Bishop has started 75 per cent of the Lightning’s games the last two seasons. In both years he has had at least 37 wins and a save percentage better than an average starter. So why take a flier on Vasilevskiy? For one, he’s a very good goalie, one of the best prospects at the position in the league. For another, he could take over as Tampa’s starter as early as 2016-17 given the organization’s cap crunch and Bishop’s pending UFA status. Add in Bishop’s injury history, and Vasilevskiy may get more of a look than many expect this season.

A contributor to McKeen’s Hockey in various roles for the last 14 years, James Mirtle covers the NHL for The Globe and Mail and is based in Toronto. You can find more of his work at jamesmirtle.com.