Maxime Comtois – McKeen's Hockey

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 – Factors that make top value fantasy picks – the unexpected and perhaps should have been expected

Scott Cullen — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:31:51 +0000

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

This week, looking at the factors that made the top value picks in fantasy this season. Some of these seasons were totally unexpected. Maybe a few of them we could have seen coming.

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

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 30: Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, held on March 30, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

#1 Even if their team’s season ended up disappointing, the Dallas Stars were a source of fantasy value.

Joe Pavelski had 31 points in 67 games for the Stars last season, his first in Dallas, but he did rebound with 13 goals and 19 points in 27 playoff games last season. Even so, expectations had to be modest for a 36-year-old coming off his worst regular season. But the Stars needed Pavelski’s production. Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov both missed most of the season and that contributed to Pavelski playing more than 19 minutes per game this season after playing 16:56 last season. Pavelski ended up scoring 20 more points, including 10 more power play points, this season than he did last season.

One of the biggest breakout, ahem, stars in the game this season was Roope Hintz, who was a legitimate candidate for a breakthrough season but he also had two goals in 25 playoff games last season so it was hardly a lock. Hintz was playing through a groin injury for most of the season, and missed some games as a result, but he still produced 43 points in 41 games. Not many players see their ice time jump like Hintz, gaining 3:29 per game compared to last season, but his increased production was also tied to a spike in on-ice shooting percentage, from 8.3% to 11.3% year over year.

How are you as a fantasy manager supposed to know about a player’s role when the very team that he plays for doesn’t really know either? Jason Robertson was not in the Dallas lineup at the start of the season and played sparingly in a couple of games before sitting out for another 10 days before playing his third game. He started to score which earned him more playing time but his shot rates were still relatively modest. Robertson had 32 shots on goal in his first 20 games but has 95 shots on goal in 31 games since.

#2 Goaltending is difficult to project for anyone and that includes fantasy managers. Coming into the season, a consensus Top 10 of goaltenders would have likely included Carter Hart, Ilya Samsonov, Jordan Binnington, Carey Price, and Frederik Andersen. You know who wasn’t getting love in the preseason? Chris Driedger, Alex Nedeljkovic, Mike Smith, and Jack Campbell. Sometimes, for fantasy success, goaltending can be saved by the right guy at the right time from the waiver wire, which is also a reasonable argument against taking a goaltender too early in your draft.

#3 Those weren’t the only unheralded goaltenders to have fantasy value either. When Cam Talbot was hurt for Minnesota, Kaapo Kahkonen was a major factor. Vitek Vanecek played much more than anyone could have expected for Washington and Jake Oettinger ended up in a significant role with Dallas. For a good portion of the season, Kevin Lankinen was a surprise hit in Chicago before fading down the stretch.

#4 One of my preseason sleeper favorites was Carolina center Vincent Trocheck. His production had understandably tailed off since suffering a broken leg in November of 2018, and he only had four points in 15 (regular season plus playoff) games for the Hurricanes after he was acquired from Florida last season. This season, Trocheck was healthy from the start, played on the first power play unit and, despite playing 47 games, recorded more than 100 hits for the sixth consecutive season. There were no guarantees on Trocheck coming into the season but was well worth a mid-round pick because his power play production and hit totals gave him potential high-end fantasy value.

#5 Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun led all blueliners with 18 goals and ranked second with 176 shots on goal, behind only Dougie Hamilton, who had 180 shots on goal. He was a late-round pick in most leagues if not waiver wire fodder.

#6 While the Vegas Golden Knights have star players that can make a major impact, some of the best fantasy value on the team came in the bargain bin. Alec Martinez was in a league of his own as a shot blocker, putting up 3.17 blocks per game. Chicago’s Connor Murphy ranked second at 2.46 blocked shots per game.

There may have been some expectation that Cody Glass would knock Chandler Stephenson out of the top line center role at some point this season but it did not happen. Stephenson maintained his role, playing between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, and has 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in the past 17 games with none of those points coming on the power play.

#7 While it is fair to question the contributions of Edmonton’s supporting cast of forwards, as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were the only three with more than 25 points, the Oilers did offer big value on the blueline.

Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie were the most common teammates for Connor McDavid and Barrie ranks second among defensemen with 46 points while Nurse ranks 12^th with 36 points.

The other value to be found on the Edmonton defense was with Adam Larsson, who was one of four defensemen to average better than two hits and two blocked shots per game. Connor Murphy, Jacob Trouba, and David Savard were the others. Nikita Zaitsev was a rounding error away on blocked shots from joining that group.

#8 The calls for New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox to win the Norris Trophy got a little quieter when he didn’t register a point in the last six games of the season but he still leads defensemen with 47 points and while there may have been legitimate reason to be optimistic about Fox’s second NHL campaign, it’s not exactly standard fare for anyone to have their ice time increase by 5:48 per game.

#9 While Nikolaj Ehlers took a notable step forward for the Winnipeg Jets the big value to be gained for fantasy managers was getting Andrew Copp. Coming into the season, Copp had a career high of 28 points but then produced 39 points this season, despite fading down the stretch. His lineup versatility saw him move around a lot and that included a role on the power play and Copp scored 12 of his 39 points with the man advantage.

#10 The Pittsburgh Penguins were a source of surprising production from a couple of forwards. In the wake of Evgeni Malkin’s injury, Jared McCann stepped into the second-line center role and from the beginning of March through the end of the season, McCann scored 26 points and had 74 shots on goal in 30 games.

#11 Pittsburgh’s big trade deadline acquisition was Jeff Carter, who has scored nine goals in 14 games with the Penguins after scoring eight goals in 40 games for the Los Angeles Kings. Carter is one of a dozen players with nine or more goals since the trade deadline.

#12 The three players tied with the most goals since the trade deadline, with 11, were all good sources of fantasy value this season. Minnesota Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov came into the league with expectations and started scoring immediately but he became a high-end shot generator, too, putting up 3.4 shots per game in his past 37 games after just 1.6 shots per game in the first 17 games of his career. Chicago winger Alex DeBrincat had a down season in 2019-2020, scoring 18 goals after taylling a career-high 41 goals the season before. DeBrincat’s shot rate stayed consistent but this season scored on 20.6% of his shots after scoring on 8.7% of his shots in 2019-2020. 32 goals in 52 games this season is the best per-game goal rate of DeBrincat’s career. The third player with 11 goals since the trade deadline is Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart, who had 11 goals on 46 shots in 14 games down the stretch to end up tying his career high of 25 goals. As with anything good for the Sabres this season, it mostly got lost under the mountain of bad.

#13 I wrote quite a bit about the Florida Panthers a few weeks ago but they were a source of fantastic fantasy value this season. MacKenzie Weegar’s ice time increased by a couple of minutes per game and he did generate more hits than in previous seasons but he doubled his previous career-high of 18 points, and finished with a plus-29 in 54 games.

#14 Carter Verhaeghe was one of the best stories of the season, a fourth liner who won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2019-2020, Verhaeghe was installed on Florida’s top line and he produced 2.56 points/60 at even strength, more than Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Mikko Rantanen and many others. Should you have known that Verhaeghe could be this productive? Probably not because when an unproven player gets a chance to play on the first line, there are many instances where it is short-lived and quickly forgotten. Such is the nature of the sport, where a coach can change his mind and alter a player’s fantasy value in dramatic fashion. That didn’t happen with Verhaeghe in Florida.

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 27: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, held on April 27, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

#15 It would be simple to say that Sam Bennett just needed an opportunity to play in a scoring role, that he just wasn’t given the opportunity in his nearly six seasons with the Calgary Flames but he has had instances in which he was been productive, most notably in the playoffs, where he has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 41 shots on goal in 15 games over the past two years. But Bennett also didn’t have a consistent run alongside a player like Jonathan Huberdeau and what stands out about Bennett, in addition to the fact that he scored 15 points in 10 games after the Panthers acquired him at the trade deadline, but he also recorded 39 shots on goal. His 3.90 shots on goal per game since the trade deadline ranks fifth, behind Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Jakob Chychrun, and Evander Kane.

#16 One more Panther of fantasy note is defenseman Radko Gudas, who was fantasy relevant in one specific category, recording 4.63 hits per game, the only defenseman above 4.00 hits per game. Brady Tkachuk, Brandon Tanev, and Tyler Motte were the three forwards that had more than four hits per game. Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, with 3.93 hits per game, was next highest among defensemen.

#17 The Carolina Hurricanes had a trio of forwards that provided big fantasy value relative to their preseason ranking, too. Martin Necas had a promising rookie season in 2019-2020 but with three more minutes of ice time per game this season, his production picked up and he produced 30 points (12 G, 18 A) in 36 games since the beginning of March.

Veteran center Jordan Staal scored 38 points in 53 games; 0.72 points per game was his highest since 2011-2012 and getting that production, along with 135 hits, put Staal in rare company and, at this stage of his career, Staal did not have such high expectations coming into the season.

#18 There were some positives to take from the Ottawa Senators’ rebuilding effort and the best fantasy value may have come from the likes of Drake Batherson and Josh Norris, who both had the good fortunate to play most of the season with Brady Tkachuk. Batherson had 34 points (17 G, 17 A) with 15 points on the power play and 97 hits in 55 games. Norris also had 34 points (16 G, 18 A) and 14 power play points in 55 games, putting up 13 points in 14 games to finish the season.

#19 Arizona Coyotes winger Conor Garland saw his ice time jump by 3:46 from the 2019-2020 season and he ended up with as many points (39) in 46 games in 2020-2021, as he scored in 68 games the season before.

#20 It’s not always easy to pick out which young forwards are going to get real opportunities to shine with their teams. Ice time matters. Role matters. Jesper Bratt got a late start to the season in New Jersey then contributed 30 points in 46 games, even while scoring on a career-low 6.9% of his shots. Maxime Comtois led the Anaheim Ducks with 33 points and added 93 hits. Nashville’s Eeli Tolvanen needed some injuries to create a chance for him and then he scored 22 points in 40 games, with 12 of those points on the power play.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS 4/8/21 – Rangers have turned into a scoring machine plus Vincent Trocheck, Andrew Copp, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, and more ..

Scott Cullen — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 16:58:56 +0000

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

This week, the Rangers have turned into a scoring machine plus Vincent Trocheck, Andrew Copp, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, and more.

#1 Let’s start with some context. Since St. Patrick’s Day, the Colorado Avalanche have scored 4.46 goals per 60 minutes in all situations and even after getting stunned by Minnesota Wednesday the Avs are outscoring opponents by 1.98 goals per 60 minutes but I already wrote about the brilliance of the Avalanche a few weeks ago so no need to repeat that refrain right now.

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 04: New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on March 4, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

#2 The New York Rangers have scored 4.39 goals per 60 minutes which ranks second behind the Avalanche, in that time and the Rangers are outscoring opponents by a league-best 2.06 goals per 60 minutes. The Pittsburgh Penguins (3.58) and Arizona Coyotes (3.51) are the only other teams scoring more than 3.50 goals per 60 minutes in that span so the Avalanche and Rangers are far ahead of the field. Some of the Rangers’ offensive prowess is due to their scoring eruptions against the Philadelphia Flyers, winning 9-0 and 8-3 against Philadelphia before winning 8-4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday but it is unseemly to complain about how they have suddenly become the most explosive offense in the league.

#3 In those 11 games, the Rangers’ leading scorer is defenseman Adam Fox, who has 21 points (3 G, 18 A), ahead of Mika Zibanejad (10 G, 9 A), Artemi Panarin (6 G, 12 A), Ryan Strome (2 G, 14 A), and Pavel Buchnevich (7 G, 5 A). The Rangers as a team have scored on 15.2% of their shots in this span, which is a ridiculous and unsustainable rate.

#4 The good news for the Blueshirts is that they have some support in their own end of the rink. Since the start of last season, among goaltenders to play at least 25 games, the Ranges’ Igor Shesterkin ranks second with a .927 save percentage. Florida’s Chris Driedger ranks first, at .934. Third through fifth are: Jake Allen (.925), Darcy Kuemper (.923), and Tuukka Rask (.923).

#5 The bottom five for active goaltender save percentage since the start of last season, minimum 25 games: Matt Murray (.892), Devan Dubnyk (.893), Marcus Hogberg (.894), Carter Hutton (.894), and Malcolm Subban (.895).

SUNRISE, FL - FEBRUARY 27: Vincent Trocheck #16 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares for a face-off against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on February 27, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Icon Sportswire)

#6 He missed three weeks in the middle so he does not get official credit for a point streak, but Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck has points in 11 straight games, accumulating 15 points (6 G, 9 A). On a per-game basis, the only skaters offering more fantasy value this season are a who’s who of the elite players in the game: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, and Aleksander Barkov. That’s it, the whole list of skaters delivering more per-game fantasy value than Trocheck this season.

#7 Nashville Predators right winger Luke Kunin took a puck in the ear Tuesday against Detroit, which may leave his immediate status in doubt, but since returning from his last injury, Kunin has six points (2 G, 4 A) in six games and brings additional value with his physical play, recording 20 hits in his past six games.

#8 There was a time very early in the season when Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp was one of the most popular additions in fantasy hockey. He had nine points in seven games and was skating on the Jets’ top line. But then Copp moved down the lineup and settled into a third-line role and, for a while, he was not scoring as much. But he has found a way to make it work and has 15 points (8 G, 7 A) in the past 15 games, including six points on the power play.

#9 For whatever flaws may be involved in the Montreal Canadiens roster construction, they sure made the most of the offseason, acquiring wingers Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, and Corey Perry. The new trio of Habs forwards has scored 42 goals, more than any new threesome in the league this season. There is only one other contender that’s even close and that is Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe, Patric Hornqvist, and Alexander Wennberg, who have combined to score 40 goals.

#10 The injury to Brendan Gallagher is huge for the Canadiens. Among players to play at least 100 5-on-5 minutes this season, no one is on the ice for a higher rate of shot attempts than Gallagher’s 72.4 per 60 minutes.

#11 There have been just two lines to get a better share of shot attempts than Montreal’s line of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault, and Brendan Gallagher, a trio that has controlled 63.0% of shot attempts during 5-on-5 play. The top two? Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen (67.2%), and Boston’s Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak (63.8%). Montreal’s top line is also good for more than 69.0% of expected goals, according to Evolving Hockey, which ranks second behind only Florida’s top line of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov, and Anthony Duclair.

#12 Last season, Carolina’s Dougie Hamilton was on his way to a Norris Trophy contending campaign before he suffered a broken leg and one of the features of Hamilton’s game was his elite ability to generate shots on goal – 3.6 per game in 2019-2020. In his first 27 games this season, Hamilton was not generating shots in the same way, down to 2.9 per game, which is still very good but not exceptional. The past three weeks have been different, though. Hamilton has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in in the past 11 games and has put 50 shots on goal in those 11 games (4.6 per game) and that includes games with 11 and nine shots on goal.

#13 Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has one assist in five games since returning from injury but he does have 20 shots on goal and 15 blocked shots, numbers that make it easier to wait for his point production to return.

#14 Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo had one assist in his first 18 games this season, which made it pretty easy to ignore him for fantasy purposes. But as the attrition on the Sabres roster knocks out players with injuries and, presumably, with trades before the deadline, there is a chance for Okposo to continue his recent surge in production which includes 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past 12 games.

#15 The New York Islanders acquired veteran center Travis Zajac and right winger Kyle Palmieri from the New Jersey Devils Wednesday. Zajac is a 35-year-old who has played more than 1,000 games in the National Hockey League and his 5-on-5 production this season, 2.44 points per 60, has been the best of his career and ranks 38^th among skaters to play at least 200 5-on-5 minutes this season.

#16 Kyle Palmieri might be the more appealing trade acquisition, because he has scored 24 or more goals in five straight seasons, but this season has been a challenge for him. He has 1.20 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, the lowest rate of his career, save for his first 10-game audition in the 2010-2011 season. But, he also has not recorded a primary assist during 5-on-5 play this season, and his on-ice shooting percentage of 6.1% is a career-low. Those numbers could very easily bounce back and if Palmieri gets a prime scoring role with the Islanders, could still have a big finish to the season.

#17 Beware Ducks left winger Maxime Comtois, a young power forward who has shown some promise this season but his shot rates have also dried up and when the shots stop, quite often so will the points. In his past 13 games, Comtois has four points (2 G, 2 A) and 11 shots on goal. This after producing 19 points (9 G, 10 A) and 48 shots on goal in his first 26 games.

#18 A similar story goes with Washington Capitals left winger Jakub Vrana, who scored 10 goals in the first 24 games of the season but has now gone a dozen games without a goal. In those first 24 games, Vrana had more than 2.3 shots per game. In the past dozen games, he has managed 0.8 shots per game. Tough to score when you can’t even get pucks to the net.

#19 At this stage of the season, the big names on the blueline are long gone but there is still value to be found. The following vets are available in the majority of leagues: Chicago’s Connor Murphy, who has five assists, 29 hits and 29 blocked shots in the past eight games. Those peripheral stats matter, too. Veteran Arizona Coyotes defenseman Alex Goligoski has eight points (1 G, 7 A) and 15 blocked shots in the past seven games. Jared Spurgeon has doubled his season point totals, putting up six points (3 G, 3 A), in the past eight games.

#20 In the past month, the top scorers per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (minimum 100 minutes) are not huge surprises: Aleksander Barkov (4.87), Artemi Panarin (4.68), and Connor McDavid (3.91). The next three, though, are a little more interesting: Ross Colton (3.88), Joonas Donskoi (3.69), and Pat Maroon (3.56). Sometimes there is value to be found in the supporting cast on powerhouse teams.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

Anaheim Ducks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 18:32:11 +0000

I have long been fascinated by the player development system in place in Anaheim. Actually, that isn’t quite fair, as I have long been fascinated by the entirety of hockey operations in Anaheim, what with the Ducks being possibly the last public holdout to the analytics revolution.

It would be easy to attribute their recent fall from grace to their insistence on playing checkers while the rest of the league plays chess, but that isn’t wholly accurate either. You see, if they were so far behind the times, the Ducks would not have been consistent contenders for so long. Not only did last year’s playoff miss signify the first early vacation for the Ducks since 2011-12, but it was just their third playoff miss since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.

It would be pretty easy to look at last year as not only a result of anti-analytics, but doubling down on the anti-analytics style, what with Randy Carlyle spending the bulk of the season behind the bench before GM Bo Murray finally pulled the plug and installed himself as the interim bench boss over the last few months of the season.

While the above was a contributing factor, the Ducks fell from their regular postseason perch due to a combination of an aging core (with the associated injuries that also come in tandem) with a young next wave that was not quite ready.

One of the things that has most fascinated me about the Ducks player development system (including their scouting/drafting) is how they see to consistently find skilled forwards at the draft, which they had supplemented with just enough of a blueline corps to maintain their edge. Trades and the expansion draft (Sami Vaatanen and Marcus Pettersen for the former and Shea Theodore for the latter) made that blueline weaker than they had hoped and they team simply lacked the horses to replace them.

We can see that below, as the Ducks current top 20 has only four defensemen, two of whom were just brought into the system at this year’s draft. None of those four defenders are ranked higher than ninth in the system. That top defender, Josh Mahura, was given a change last year, in his first professional season, and held his own in a 17 game NHL trial, but did not do enough at either the AHL or NHL levels to indicate that he was ready for a full time NHL role.

The same is not true for the team’s forwards. With the Anaheim forward unit aging, and in some case, excised from the roster, there will be a few chances for one or more of the team’s top prospects to step up. The Ducks are expected to offer extended opportunities to Sam Steel, Troy Terry, and Max Jones to make the NHL roster on a full-time basis, especially now that former AHL San Diego coach Dallas Eakins has been named the Anaheim head coach. All will be given a chance to become part of the new Anaheim core.

-Ryan Wagman

Anaheim Ducks Center Sam Steel (34) . (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)

1 Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) With all of the hoopla surrounding teammate and occasional linemate Jack Hughes, it was relatively easy to miss the fact that Trevor Zegras was also among the handful of the most dynamic forwards available in the 2019 draft class. Part of his ability to fly under the radar was due to not being a natural goalscorer, preferring, like current Anaheim legend Ryan Getzlaf, to create opportunities for others. The other part of it is the fact that near elite hockey IQ is one of the driving factors in his game, as opposed to say skating ability (although he is a tremendous skater) or puck skills (he has fantastic hands). With Hughes clearly the number one center for the USNTDP last year, Zegras alternated between playing as the second line center, or on either of the two wings. He can do it all and may not need to do it all at Boston University for more than a single season before he is ready for the pro game. - RW

2 Sam Steel, C (30^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 1) Steel’s first pro season was a solid one, as his dependable smarts and diverse offensive skill set were all on display in a season split between Anaheim and AHL San Diego. A playmaker at heart, he possesses incredible patience and natural hockey sense, but can beat you with a wicked wrist shot from the slot as well. He took on some tough defensive matchups in his rookie season in the pro ranks, showing exemplary maturity and discipline at a young age. Though his playmaking traits revolve around slowing the game down, he could stand to play with more pace. The door is wide open for the former first-rounder to secure a full-time spot on the center depth chart in the NHL. Expect him to play a top-six role with the Ducks in the future. - TD

3 Maxime Comtois, C/LW (50^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 4) Comtois secured a taste of the NHL level this season with seven points in 10 games, and later spent another four games at the AHL level. This experience is a sign pointing to how close he is to making the show. Comtois added the captaincy along with six points in five games for Team Canada at the World Juniors while playing through a separated shoulder. He also had an impressive second half of 48 points in 25 games with Drummondville showing great resiliency in returning strong after receiving unwarranted criticism from some fans after his Team Canada performance. Comtois is NHL ready; he has the size, the skills, the smarts and the drive. His skating is not special but it should be enough, and his game evolved from pure offensive power forward to a two-way force at the junior level. His 2018-19 was a big step towards reaching his potential as a responsible and dependable physical top-six winger with offensive upside. -MS

4 Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) Lundestrom has already seen NHL action as a teenager and will be an NHLer in the long run as well. He has a chance to emerge as a good center for Anaheim as soon as this upcoming season. His potential is not top line elite but as a middle six center he could thrive. He has strong foundations when it comes to his skating, skills, smarts and physicality. He could show more of an attack mentality in the offensive end though. His wrist shot is good, but he doesn’t use it enough. He is a strong puck carrier and excels at zone entries. He can be used in various roles, offensively as well as defensively, and do well at both ends, but isn’t all-in-all good enough to become the best player for your team. Lundestrom plays a balanced game and takes responsibility in all three zones. He can also support the offensive game and has puck skills to become a 40/50-point player in the NHL at his peak. - JH

5 Troy Terry, C (148^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 3) Terry is not the best or most complete prospect in the Anaheim system, but he might be the one with the most raw, unadulterated skill. The center is yet another pro rookie who dazzled in 2018-19, as the former World Junior Championship hero put up a point per game with AHL San Diego and 13 points in 32 games with Anaheim last year. His quick hands, whippy, dangerous wrist shot, offensive vision, and deceptive skating give him a neat package to build on, as long as he can remain confident and start to help out on defense more than he currently does. Has a solid chance to break the Ducks’ Opening Night roster, if his health (broken leg late last season) coincides with his gameplay. - TD

6 Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 5) Coaches love smart players, and Groulx is certainly that. He showed a lot of growth on a deep Halifax team this season, with a 25-point improvement from the previous year. He was injured and missed some time in the playoffs, and was not himself until the Memorial Cup, where he contributed at a point-per-game pace. Groulx’s skating is only so-so, and could make him a better winger than center in the pros, but he has the hockey sense and the intelligence to overcome average skating speed and succeed. He can play all situations and has been one of the smartest players in the Q. Pair that with a greatly improved shot, and Groulx has a solid opportunity to move along in the pro ranks. He is shaping up to be a solid middle-six option who can play all situations, and can hang around with his hockey sense above all of his other well-rounded skills. - MS

7 Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019) What will get Tracey to the NHL is his ability to shoot the puck. He has a great wrist shot as well as a lethal one-timer that he can get off in limited space. He has the ability to find soft spaces in the defensive zone coverage that enable him good shooting opportunities. He was fortunate this year to be the fifth player in one of the top 5 man units in the WHL and I remain a bit skeptical about his ability to drive offense without such a dominant supporting cast around him. His skating is above average and he moves around the ice well with and without the puck, including some nice feigns and dekes that allow him to beat guys one on one. He projects as a middle six winger who is a viable offensive option on a second power play unit. - VG

8 Max Jones, LW (24^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) Another former first-rounder who made his pro debut last season, Jones boasts a menacing power-forward repertoire and the intense, mature game to grow into it. He struggled to establish himself in limited NHL minutes last season (30-2-3-5), but looked dominant at times with AHL San Diego, using his elite skating, combining balance and stride power to finesse by defenders and make something happen. His skating speed is at a high level for someone of his size and playing style, and his sturdiness with the puck on his stick makes him a difficult player to wrap up. His feisty, angry demeanor on the ice can backfire (penalty minute accumulation, lack of focus on defense), but will be a factor if he can harness it for good. Even if he does not live up to his draft billing, he should establish himself on a bottom six slot in short order. - TD

9 Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) As part of a long line of high-end defensemen drafted in later rounds and developed by the Ducks, Mahura shows top-four upside and the potential to be a lethal power-play quarterback in the future. A crisp, accurate, and heads-up passer, the 2016 third-rounder is a beast in transitional play, and is never afraid to start -- or join -- an offensive rush. Solid vision of up-ice development is aided by his tight gaps, which can force turnovers at the blue line and spark a chance the other way. An average skater, Mahura needs to work on his technical footwork (pivots, start/stops, acceleration) to command a lot of minutes in his NHL future. He could also be a shooter, but his game is more tailored to his skill at facilitating chances for others. - TD

10 Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 7) After a strong performance in his draft year with USHL Chicago, McLaughlin was one of several high end newcomers at the University of Minnesota. In a disappointing season for the Golden Gophers, the former third rounder was part of the general malaise around the program during the first half of the season, but he made the necessary adjustments from the Junior A level and performed at an admirable NCAA level in the second half of his freshman year. By year’s end, he was showcasing a promising two-way game, using his skilled hands to force turnovers in his own end and then to create chances for his linemates in the offensive end. His solid first few steps also help him be a disruptive force throughout the rink. If his trajectory continues, he still has a good chance of fulfilling his middle six NHL upside. - RW

11 Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Like Trevor Zegras above, this Trevor is also experienced at being overshadowed by Jack Hughes. A USNTDP member during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, he was never draft eligible as a late birthday, but even so, Hughes helped keep him in the bottom six during his second year with the program. Spending his draft year with lowly, and now defunct Central Illinois of the USHL, Janicke was easy to forget, but he has often the only real offensive driver for the Flying Aces. Heading to Notre Dame next year, Janicke has refined hockey sense and is a strong skater (two endemic traits among USNTDP alums) but his shot is a separator. The wrist shot, in particular, can beat good goalies (at the USHL level) from a distance. While he may not score as often from the blueline, he will still be deadly from the circles on in. With continued development with the Fighting Irish, he has middle six upside, although more likely as a winger than up the middle. -RW

12 Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Lacking the flair of fellow USNTDP blueliners Cam York and Domenick Fensore, or the size and brawn of teammates like Alex Vlasic or Case McCarthy, Thrun did a little bit of everything for the program. He plays a quiet, hyper-efficient game at both ends. He was a regular on the penalty kill and shows the type of on-ice IQ that you could expect from someone heading to Harvard. He is not a blazer, but has enough mobility to move the puck out of his own zone. His work in the offensive end lacks panache, but he is an excellent passer, particularly with his backhand. He has good size, but he wins battles defensively through positioning instead of brute force. His upside is not likely to be better than a solid number four, but in this system, that makes him one of the best defenders.

13 Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) A teammate of Groulx’s and a close friend of Comtois, Antoine Morand is well connected with his fellow Anaheim-drafted Q prospect teammates. Much like them, Morand knows where to be on the ice. He is a creator who distributes very well and can run an offence. For the third year in a row, he broke the 70-point barrier, this time with the Halifax Mooseheads, where he was named captain. In his second Memorial Cup appearance, he doubled his point output at the tournament from two to four. He is a solid skater with great agility and strong edgework, but his size is a question mark going forward. Morand will have to bulk up to have extended success at the NHL level, as he is a top-6 offensive player or bust prospect as an undersized forward. - MS

14 Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Although small by modern goaltending standards, Czech netminder Lukas Dostal is blessed with high end athleticism. Along with his glove hand and his ability to track the puck, he can keep his team in games, as he demonstrated time and again at the junior level, and against men at various European stops. In addition to a star turn with the Czech U20 team at the WJC (he was named one of the three best players on the team and led all netminders at the tournament with a stellar .957 save percentage), he also more than held his own at the Czech second division and in Finland’s top level with Ilves. He likes to challenge shooters and shows a plus ability to prevent second chances. His limbs move quickly, and he can cover more of the net than his bulk would suggest. Heading back to Ilves for another year, he profiles as a future backup at the highest level. - RW

15 Brendan Guhle, D (51^st overall, 2015 [Buffalo]. Last Year: 3 [Buffalo]) Packaged in the February trade that sent Brandon Montour to Buffalo, Guhle wasted no time getting acclimated to the Ducks system and showing his NHL potential in the process. The former second-rounder has the size and fundamental defensive smarts to be reliable in his own zone, as well as the speed and playmaking abilities to carry the puck out and make some noise. At the tail end of the 2018-19 campaign, the former second-round pick was quarterbacking the Ducks’ second power-play unit, as his fantastic technical skating ability and shot made for a nifty man-advantage package at the top of the zone. Mature and physical, there are no real, debilitating flaws to his game, and he could be on the Ducks’ blueline come to the start of the 2019-20 season although his true upside is more number four or five than defensive linchpin. - TD

16 Chase De Leo, C (99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. Last Year: Unranked) An undersized forward, De Leo has absolutely dominated in the AHL over the past few seasons, including a career-best 66-20-35-55 stat line with San Diego last year, adding five playoff goals in the process. His combination of energy, skill, playmaking, and shooting prowess make him one of the most intriguing presences in a prospect system -- one De Leo joined following a trade from Winnipeg in June 2018 -- deep in scoring centers. So why hasn’t he seen an extended shot in the NHL? His 5-9” stature doesn’t help, and his inability to help much on defense -- even in his draft +4 year -- is not a step in the right direction. Jumping into a re-tooling organization like the Ducks could help his case for an NHL spot, however, although he would need to prove he can take on a bottom six role. - TD

17 Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) As Lacombe spent the overwhelming majority of his draft year playing with the Shattuck St. Mary’s Midget Prep program, kicking butt and taking names, it was fairly clear that he was too good for the level he was at. His outrageous point totals (89 points in 54 games as a defenseman) need to be taken with a few shakers of salt. That said, when he did play in the USHL for a few scattered games with the Chicago Steel, he showed a different side of his game, one seemingly more indicative of what he could develop into. Tall and lanky, with room to gain mass, he is a plus skater and shows the ability to move the ability at a solid level, similar to what he demonstrated in the pre-season at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Most notable to these eyes, he was able to read the play at a higher level than was necessary in the prep ranks. He has higher upside than some ranked above him on this list, but is further from reaching that level. -RW

18 Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. Last Year: 13) Along with Blake McLaughlin and Jackson Lacombe, Jack Badini is one of three former Chicago Steel players in the Anaheim system. Drafted in his second year of eligibility after leading the Steel to a USHL crown in 2017, his first two years at Harvard have been solid, but not spectacular. He is still fleet of foot and a dangerous penalty killer. Since being drafted, Badini has grown more into his frame over two years at Harvard and can be a tougher player to get past in his own end. He has not been given an extended opportunity playing special teams, but has still managed to contribute at a nice secondary pace. Badini still has the makings of a solid bottom six forward, possibly at center, but it would be good to see him gain additional responsibilities with the Crimson before turning pro. - RW

19 Anthony Stolarz, G (45^th overall, 2012 [Philadelphia]. Last Year: 13 [Philadelphia]) As an injury-prone netminder who has been through multiple NHL systems, you might be asking what Stolarz is even doing on a prospects rundown. Keep in mind that the massive, surprisingly athletic American still has quite a bit of upside and has even showed it in his brief NHL stints to this point. A deep-playing netminder, Stolarz is calm, shuts down the posts well, moves from side to side efficiently, and has a very composed game that limits scrambling. With John Gibson atop the goaltending totem pole, what the Ducks will do with the 25-year-old is an open question, but he projects to be a high-end backup goalie at the NHL level if given the role over an extended trial. - TD

20 Andrew Poturalski, C (UFA: Mar. 8, 2016 [Carolina]. Last Year: 14 [Carolina]) Everywhere he has gone in his career, Poturalski has scored at incredible rates. A star at the USHL and NCAA levels, the undrafted forward has torn up the AHL as well, most recently with a 72-23-47-70 regular season, Calder Cup title, and the Butterfield Trophy (AHL postseason MVP) with Charlotte in 2018-19. A decisive, speedy playmaker with quick hands and high-end vision, the 25-year-old possesses a ceiling of a depth scoring forward with potential to have a ton of success on the power play. The lack of a quick first step has limited his ability to attack on the fly, while his undersized frame makes him nearly non-existent around the boards and might be the primary reason why he only received a two game NHL cameo across his three full season in the Carolina organization. With a rebuilding Anaheim team, he may finally get his chance. - TD

MCKEEN’S 2019-20 YEARBOOK: Top 25 Rookies

Ryan Wagman — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 19:01:27 +0000

Projected Top 25 NHL rookies for the 2019-20 season. The top ten are ranked and the final 15 are listed alphabetically.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire)

Cale Makar, D, Col

As a freshman, Makar was very good for UMass and excellent for Team Canada at the WJC, making the tournament All Star team. As a sophomore, he more than doubled his offensive output, winning the Hobey Baker Award on his way to taking the Minutemen to their first ever Frozen Four. He joined Colorado for the postseason and played a key role in getting the Avalanche to the second round. He could be on the first pairing by Canadian Thanksgiving.

Quinn Hughes, D, Van

Like Makar, Hughes got his toenails wet in the NHL at the conclusion of an excellent sophomore season in the NCAA, in his case with Michigan. He may be more protected this year in the NHL but will have every opportunity to play big offensive minutes and quarterback the Vancouver power play.

Kaapo Kakko, RW, NYR

In the big picture, we prefer the player ranked next, but Kakko is readier right now to impact the Rangers’ fortunes. He has already excelled against men in the Liiga and in the World Championships, scoring six times on the way to a Gold Medal in the latter. He will be competing with Vitali Kravtsov for a top six job right away.

Jack Hughes, C, NJ

One of the most offensively dynamic players ever to play for the USNTDP, Hughes also played in the World Championships, but in a more muted role than Kakko. Older brother Quinn is more likely to play a critical NHL role this year, with Jack slated for third line duties in New Jersey, but Jack is also a superstar in the making.

Sam Steel, C, Ana

We thought Steel would earn an NHL job last year, but Anaheim let him spend most of his first season as a pro in the AHL, where he excelled in both the regular season and the playoffs. He also held his own in limited NHL duty, with 11 points in 22 games. The Ducks are ready to turn to the youth now, and Steel is first in line.

Joel Farabee, LW, Phi

There is a tangible risk that Farabee spends the season, or the bulk of it, in the AHL, but there is also the greater likelihood that his high-end hockey sense, well-rounded skill set and non-stop motor convince the Flyers’ brass that he makes them a better team right now and that playing in the NHL even before he has reached full physical maturity will not harm him long term.

Erik Brannstrom, D, Ott

A WJC All Star for the Silver Medal winning Sweden side, Brannstrom also excelled as a teenaged blueliner with Chicago in the AHL, before being shipped to Ottawa as the prime return in the Mark Stone trade. He will have experienced competition to make the NHL roster out of camp, but the Senators have only one blueliner (Chabot) who is clearly better right now.

Martin Necas, C/RW, Car

Like Brannstrom above, Necas excelled in the AHL as a teenager both before and after a strong WJC performance for his homeland. The winger was also a rock in the AHL playoffs and was one of Charlotte’s leading performers in their run to a Calder Cup. Necas has a good shot to play top six minutes for the Hurricanes from day one and has the tools to stick in the role.

Elvis Merzlikins, G, Clb

Twice named the Goalie of the Year (Jacques Plante Trophy) in Switzerland, Elvis is finally coming to Columbus. His primary competition for the Blue Jackets’ starting job is Joonas Korpisalo, so there is a good chance he finishes much higher in the Calder voting once the season is over. He has more professional experience than anyone here and the tools to succeed are in his pocket as well.

Adam Fox, D, NYR

Traded twice in the last year, Fox steadily was a top offensive blueliner in the college ranks. Drafted by Calgary before moving to Carolina in the Dougie Hamilton trade, he was traded to the Rangers for two early-ish picks. His quarterbacking skills are NHL ready, but he has to prove that the rest of his game will hold up. There is a third pairing spot with his name on it.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86) (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

The Next 15 Candidates are Listed Alphabetically

Drake Batherson, C/RW, Ott

After impressing mightily as a rookie pro last year, including a strong 20 game stint in the NHL, former WJC hero Batherson has a good chance to spend the full season with the torn down Senators. Not the most physically gifted, he is a pure play driver with potentially high-end offensive instincts.

Mackenzie Blackwood, G, NJ

After struggling for two seasons as a pro, Blackwood turned the corner in his third go-round, holding his own for a volatile Binghamton squad and then showing well in New Jersey while Corey Schneider was out. Goalies sometimes take longer, but he has shown all of the tools since his days as a workhorse for OHL Barrie. Playing time will again be dependent on Schneider’s health.

Evan Bouchard, D, Edm

Excelling again with the London Knights is not news for Bouchard. A point per game postseason performance for AHL Bakersfield was. His pace may keep him from reaching the ceilings expected from the blueliners ranked in the top 10, but the rest of his game grades out very well and will give him a long NHL career, likely starting this year.

Maxime Comtois, LW, Ana

Comtois was stunning in an early season job in the NHL, before an injury allowed the team to reevaluate what would be best for his future and returned him to the QMJHL where he scored 31 times in 25 games. He has an NHL frame, and should be in line to compete for a bottom six role out of camp, and better equipped to keep it this time.

Thatcher Demko, G, Van

The Canucks have moved slow with Demko, giving him most of three seasons in the AHL as they cycled through numerous guys in the NHL. He may have received a longer look with the Canucks last year were it not for injury. Jacob Markstrom is ahead of him on the NHL depth chart, but that shouldn’t be for too long.

Noah Dobson, D, NYI

Unlike the defensemen listed in the top ten, Dobson has a traditionally big frame. He is also not a pure, new-age blazing fast puck mover. But he is a future defensive lynchpin. After two consecutive Memorial Cup titles with different teams, he is ready for the NHL. His challenge for now is forcing the Islanders’ hands, as there are seven NHL vets in front of him on the depth chart.

Dante Fabbro, D, Nsh

Like Cale Makar, Fabbro moved to the NHL at the conclusion of his collegiate year and the former first rounder had a regular shift in the postseason as well. Fabbro’s game is less exciting than Makar’s, but his all-around skills and hockey sense made it easier for David Poile and company to trade P.K. Subban to New Jersey and clear room on the roster for the talented rookie.

Cody Glass, C, Vgk

The last remaining member of the Vegas Golden Knight’s inaugural first round of drafting, Glass was several levels too good for the WHL last year and jumped with both feet into the AHL at the end of his junior eligibility, helping take the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup final. His frame has filled out since the draft and he has enough hockey sense to play in any role.

Carl Grundstrom, LW/RW, LA

After a strong 15 game cameo late in the year with the Kings, after moving over from Toronto as part of the return for Jake Muzzin, Grundstrom is expected to make the NHL roster out of training camp this year. He plays a heavy, but clean, game and will help prolong offensive zone time for LA, even if he is not going to be a primary play driver.

Denis Gurianov, RW/LA, Dal

Former first rounder Gurianov was looking for all intents and purposes like a bust after two middling years in the AHL. He upped everything by two or three notches last year, becoming an offensive force at times, although his NHL time (21 games) was less impressive. He should have another prolonged chance to prove he is ready for the big time.

Taro Hirose, LW, Det

Most of the players on this list were high-end draft picks. Hirose is the only one who was never drafted. Three years as one of the top offensive threats in the NCAA have a way of changing things. Quicker than he is fast, he plays a dynamic offensive-oriented game. The seven points in his first 10 NHL games is unlikely to be sustainable, but his tools are NHL ready.

Victor Olofsson, LW, Buf

After four years of steadily improving play in the SHL, Olofsson fit right in as an AHL rookie, with nearly a point per game with Rochester. His brief stint with Buffalo also left a positive taste in the mouth, putting him in line to fight for a bottom six role this year as long as he demonstrates that he can play inside the dots consistently.

Ryan Poehling, C, Mtl

Poehling was already accomplished as a two-way player when Montreal used a first-round pick on him, but over the last two seasons, his offensive game has taken positive steps as well, suggestive of a higher upside than was once imagined. He won’t score three goals every game as he did in his NHL debut, but he can contribute in a middle six role and his defensive play is strong enough to keep him on the roster even if he doesn’t produce.

Alexandre Texier, C/LW, Clb

A great skater, there was risk involved when Columbus used a second-round pick on the Frenchman, particularly as he was playing in the French league. He has spent the past two seasons playing in the Liiga, and his offensive game flourished last year, culminating with him playing for the Blue Jackets in their postseason run, scoring twice. After so many free agents left the team, the path is clear for him to spend the full season in the NHL.

Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW, Nsh

Consider this a bet on the tools. After a fantastic teenage season in the KHL, Tolvanen came back to North America and was only OK in a season spent mostly in the AHL. He was not as consistently assertive as he is at his best. There is a pathway to a bottom six role in the NHL to start for the Finnish sniper, but it will not be handed to him. He will have to work.

QMJHL Playoff Preview: Huskies leaders of the pack in the President’s Cup playoff

Michael Sanderson — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 13:23:49 +0000

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are looking to complete what they could not in 2016: win a Memorial Cup.

They may just have the team to do it, but first they need to lay waste to the rest of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

That’s what they did in the regular season. Boasting three players from that 2016 Memorial Cup squad in league-leading scorer Peter Abbandonato, minute-eating defender Jacob Neveu and record-setting netminder Samuel Harvey, the Huskies set the record for most wins in a single season with 59 wins in 2018-19. Raphael Harvey-Pinard played five games for that 2016 Huskie crew in the regular season and was the team’s second leading scorer this year.

The Huskies are a very strong defensive unit that moves the puck fast and plays with intensity. They lost just one game in the 2019 portion of the schedule.

Noah Dobson, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Rouyn-Noranda made it count in the mid-season trading period as well, trading all of their picks in the first-through-fourth rounds in the next three seasons to acquire three players – Joel Teasdale from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Louis-Filip Côté from the Québec Remparts, and Noah Dobson from the defending Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Teasdale boasts 42 points in 29 games, and Dobson added 36 in 28.

The Titan will not be defending their crown, as they missed the playoffs this season, allowing for a new champion that could be wearing red and black. The Huskies have another piece from last year’s champs: head coach Mario Pouliot joined the team, taking over as head coach and GM.

Joe Veleno, Drummondville Voltiguers

Another team in red and black, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, are the yin to the Huskies yang in terms of contending combatants. While the Huskies dominate with defensive play and timely scoring, the Voltigeurs try to outscore the opposition, and were very successful at it, especially in the second half. The Volts led the league in goals with 338 on the strength of Detroit pick Joe Veleno’s 104 points and Maxime Comtois’s 48 points in just 25 games.

They have the forward depth to put most teams to shame. Nicolas Guay has been an excellent winger with 40 goals. Gregor MacLeod was picked up at the beginning of the season from Québec and put up 84 points. Félix Lauzon’s two-way play was magnified by his 80 points, and Dawson Mercer, not draft-eligible until 2020, had 64 points with his blazing speed and great defensive instincts. This playoff season could be Mercer’s breakout party with the responsibility Steve Hartley and the Volts coaching staff put on his shoulders.

The Huskies, not to be outdone, outscored every team but Drummondville in the regular campaign.

Drummondville and Rouyn-Noranda both benefit from a different playoff format this year, as well. Due to travel issues, the league decided to toss out the previous 1-vs-16, 2-vs-15 format for a conference set-up, putting the league’s 12 Quebec-based teams in three divisions of four, and the Maritimes all in a single division of six. The two western-most divisions were shuffled into the Western Conference, while the East Division and the Maritime teams were linked into the Eastern Conference.

This plan creates an imbalance in the conferences, so the possibility of a crossover exists; if the ninth-best Eastern Conference team has more points than the eighth-best Western Conference team, the Eastern team joins the west for the playoffs, and the eighth-best Western team misses the playoffs. The tenth-based team in the east, if they too have more points than the remaining team in the west, could also cross over.

This possibility nearly happened, with the Saint John Sea Dogs tied in points and holding the tiebreaker over the Shawinigan Cataractes on the league’s final day of the regular season. The Sea Dogs lost in regulation, while the Cataractes lost in overtime, putting them one point ahead of the Dogs and into the final playoff spot. Shawinigan, who made the playoffs despite a 0-14-1-0 record in their final 15 games, will take on the Huskies, a team that has only lost eight times all season.

The first round will be 1-vs-8, 2-vs-7 and the second round will pit the four winners, highest remaining seed playing lowest remaining seed. The third round will be a free-for-all, with the team’s left over ranked by record and seeded one-through-four regardless of conference, and lastly the winners of the third round will meet in the league final.

The possibility of the best two teams meeting in the final is still there, and the two best teams in terms of points, Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville, will have an easier ride than most one- and two-seeds.

The talent disparity between the Eastern and Western Conferences this year was a sight to behold, perfectly demonstrated by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The Phoenix, with 77 points, finished third in the west and will have home ice against the Armada. Given the same results, if Sherbrooke was in the east, they would have finished in eighth place, and would be playing the Conference-leading and Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads. Quite a jump in competition, and on the road, no less.

The Mooseheads overtook the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to win the East crown on the final day, and they will have home-ice assured for the first two rounds. While they received some criticism for potentially not doing enough during the mid-season trading period, making the fewest trades of any team, the Mooseheads are coming in with a very strong outfit that had a better 2019 than 2018. Head coach Eric Veilleux and the personnel struggled at times in terms of game-plan; Veilleux is a more defensive coach and the players he is directing are more offensive-minded, but he does his best coaching in the playoffs, and has a league final in 2013 and a Memorial Cup championship in 2012 to his credit.

Jared McIssaac

Samuel Asselin, acquired from the Titan in the season’s first week, had an excellent campaign and was the most consistent Moosehead over the 68 games, firing a league-topping 48 goals and 86 points for Halifax. Anaheim prospects Benoît-Olivier Groulx and Antoine Morand both shone in the regular season as well, with 80 and 70 points, respectively. Arnaud Durandeau kept pace as well, as the Islanders hopeful had 73 points of his own. Detroit prospect Jared McIsaac was second in defenceman points with 62 in 53 games. Having Edmonton prospect Ostap Safin back in the lineup in March after missing several months with recurring hip issues is a major boost to the scoring touch of the team.

Fans will keep a close eye on Raphael Lavoie, projected as potentially the league’s biggest draft prospect for this June’s NHL draft. Lavoie had a very hot February with 24 points in the month, and while he was kept off the scoresheet in his last three games, needs a big playoff and Memorial Cup to keep himself above the competition, namely Moncton’s Jakob Pelletier and Sherbrooke’s Samuel Poulin.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar are the Mooseheads’ biggest challengers in the east, and they held the title until the league’s final games. Much like the Huskies, the Volts and the Mooseheads, the Drakkar boast major scoring in their lineup. San Jose prospect Ivan Chekhovich was six points off the league leader in Abbandonato with 105 points, and Nathan Légaré, a 2019 draft hopeful, was tied for eighth in league scoring with 87 points and tied for second in the league with 45 goals. Their top four scorers all scored at least 35 goals, and they beefed up the back end with additions of Keenan MacIsaac from the Titan and Pascal Corbeil of the Armada.

The team did not sit pat with their goaltending either, as GM Steve Ahern acquired three capable goaltenders in Alex D’Orio from Saint John, Dereck Baribeau from Québec and Lucas Fitzpatrick from Shawinigan. Due to Baribeau’s injury in early January sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, D’Orio has been the team’s starting goaltender, and the Penguins’ signee has shown that with a contending team, he is a very good starting goaltender who can handle a lot of shots. The Drakkar do not give up a lot of shots, though, being fourth in the league in shots against at just 26-and-a-half.

Alexis Lafreniere

The Eastern Conference is the side to watch in the first two rounds, as they had seven teams breach the 85-point barrier to the west’s two. The Rimouski Oceanic, upset in last year’s first round by the Moncton Wildcats, bring in Alexis Lafrenière for his second playoff run, and they added big muscle in Calgary prospect D’Artignan Joly to a lineup that already boasted high-flying Tampa signee Jimmy Huntington and defensive leading scorer and Charles-Edouard D’Astous. Lafrenière’s 105 points already secures him as a top prospect for 2020, but he will want to get further than the opening round this time around. The Oceanic will go as far as 2019 prospect Colten Ellis can take them from the red line.

While Charlottetown traded away Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph to Drummondville, they were able to get New Jersey prospect Xavier Bernard in the deal. Matt Welsh is capable of stealing a series in net and would be talked about more in NHL circles if he was taller than 5-11”. A team could still take a flyer on him and be well-off; he never quits on a play and excels in making saves however necessary. Anaheim prospect Hunter Drew has made more great strides in his game, and 2019 potential picks Nikita Alexandrov and Brett Budgell are joined by sharpshooter Daniel Hardie and former Titan forward Jordan Maher for experience. Jim Hulton is a very good coach and an excellent motivator, and he has a group he can mold for a playoff run, despite selling off his best asset.

The Islanders’ first round opponents will be the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who acquired Derek Gentille and Minnesota prospect Shawn Boudrias at the deadline. Ottawa pick Kevin Mandolese will have to earn his keep in the net against the Isles, and former Titan forward Mitch Balmas, two-time 40-goal scorer, will hope to improve upon his five goals in last year’s playoff run. The Eagles may be a year away, but this would be a very pivotal moment in the growth of this year’s core going forward, and they are more than capable of pulling off an upset.

Chicoutimi was a player in the Noah Dobson sweepstakes; as part of a handshake agreement, Dobson was sent to Rouyn-Noranda, but with mostly Chicoutimi draft picks. Those picks were sent to the Huskies by Chicoutimi for facilitation and the ability to acquire William Dufour. The trade was a part of the Titan’s deal for Olivier Galipeau last season; the Sags wanted the ability to re-acquire Dobson next year if faced with the possibility, but also take in Dufour as a potential core piece for the future. If Dobson went through Chicoutimi directly, the Saguenéens would not be able to re-acquire him for three years.

Chicoutimi under Yanick Jean have been rebuilding for a couple of years, but they have three of the first seven picks from last year’s first round on the team in Dufour, Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette. All three have received international attention and will be important building blocks for the team in future years, and this team will gain valuable experience in the post-season, with the potential of netminder Alexis Shank stealing a game or two against Rimouski.

Jakob Pelletier is a player whose game gets better as the chips are down, and he is potentially the Wildcats’ most important player in their playoff push. Jeremy McKenna’s 97 points does not hurt either, but the Wildcats changed coaches in January and struggled to find their game at times this season. They made moves to get better at Christmas but saw a team that sold off players in Charlottetown and a team that more or less stood pat in Chicoutimi, adding just William Dufour and shuffling in Liam Murphy for Jesse Sutton, surpass them in the standings. The team is playing better under the watchful eye of John Torchetti, but the playoffs are a different animal.

Samuel Poulin is also a player who benefits when the checking gets close. He is big, fast and smart, and he can play physical as well as contribute offensively. The Phoenix scored more goals this year than any other year in their history, but do not have a scorer who jumps off the page; Poulin’s 29 goals tied for the team lead, matched by Alex-Olivier Voyer. Poulin will be relied upon heavily in the post-season, but the Phoenix have eight players with 42 points or more in the regular campaign.

The Eastern Conference is a wide-open group with good teams set to pack after the first round, while the West feature the two top teams in the league in the Huskies and the Voltigeurs. One would expect those latter two teams to make it to the final four, but any of the top seven teams in the east could make a run for the President’s Cup.

Who will meet the Mooseheads in Halifax at the 2019 Memorial Cup in May? The Huskies have recent history on their side, and the league’s wins record to boot. 16 more wins to their 59 they have already amassed seems most likely.

Predictions

First Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Shawinigan in 4

Drummondville over Gatineau in 4

Blainville-Boisbriand over Sherbrooke in 7 (with goaltending leading to the mild upset)

Victoriaville over Val d’Or in 6

Halifax over Quebec in 5

Baie-Comeau over Moncton in 5

Rimouski over Chicoutimi in 7

Charlottetown over Cape Breton in 6

Second Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Blainville-Boisbriand in 4

Drummondville over Victoriaville in 6

Halifax over Charlottetown in 7

Baie-Comeau over Rimouski in 6

Third Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Baie-Comeau in 6

Drummondville over Halifax in 7

League Championship

Rouyn-Noranda over Drummondville in 6

2019 IIHF World Junior Championship Review: Canada

Kevin Olexson — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 18:43:57 +0000

O Canada…….after winning Gold last year, and hosting the World Juniors in Vancouver and Victoria this year, the Canadians were considered favorites coming in to the 2019 World Junior Championships.

The Canadian team was built with an abundance of talent and skill with all but two players on the team drafted and property of NHL teams. The injury bug hit early with Alex Formenton (Knee), Gabriel Vilardi (back), both out for the tournament before Canada had even completed their selection camps. Jared Anderson Dolan played, but was hampered with a wrist injury, and Maxime Comtois, the only returnee from last year’s team, playing hard and leading this team with a separated shoulder. They were hoping to add forward Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, who was part of last year’s gold medal team as well, and would be considered Canada’s best player and expected leader going in to the tournament, but the Blues would not release him from their NHL roster. Tim Hunter (Moose Jaw) took over behind the bench after serving as an assistant coach last year and was joined by Marc Andre Dumont (Cape Breton), Jim Hulton (Charlottetown), and Brett Kisio (Lethbridge). Hunter wanted a fast team that would be aggressive and play an exciting up-tempo style of hockey.

Team Canada opened round robin play with a bang, and a record setting 14-0 romp of Denmark, The offensive onslaught seemed to have almost everyone involved, as Alexis Lafreniere and Noah Dobson were the only players who failed to get on the scoresheet. Led by four goals from captain Maxime Comtois, a three-goal five-point performance from Morgan Frost, four-point games by Cody Glass and Brett Leason, three assists each from Evan Bouchard, Owen Tippett, Jack Studnicka, Barrett Hayton, Ian Mitchell, and Markus Phillips all contributing with multiple points, and then nine other players notching the scoresheet with single points including goaltender Michael DiPietro. DiPietro posted the shutout, stopping all 14 shots that he faced with ease from the Danes, as none of them were all that difficult or dangerous. Things could not have started any better for the host team as they seemed dominant and poised to defend their gold medal.

Their second game of the tournament put the Canadians up against the Swiss, who were a much improved and gritty bunch coming into this year’s tournament. Canada managed to hang on to a 3-2 victory over Switzerland, which was a much different game from their first one. Canada’s Cody Glass opened the scoring 36 seconds into the game as he ripped one by Swiss goaltender Akira Schmid on a slick pass from Nick Suzuki. The Swiss tied it up on the power play when Philipp Kurashev slid into the slot and beat Canadian goalie Ian Scott with a big one timer on a nice pass from the Swiss Captain Nicolas Muller. Almost five minutes later Canada reclaimed the lead when MacKenzie Entwistle beat Schmid from point blank range on a feed from Shane Bowers.

Canada would stretch the lead to two goals when Noah Dobson broke down the right side and fought off Swiss defender Janis Moser cutting to the net and tucking the puck past Schmid. The Canadians failed to put the game away in the third when they were unable to capitalize on three consecutive power plays. Consequently, Switzerland fought back with Kurashev’s second goal of the game when Nick Suzuki was sent off for tripping, and an extra attacker out for the Swiss with the net empty. With both teams trading minor penalties late in the game, the Canadians were able to withstand the Swiss barrage at the end of the game to hold on for the 3-2 victory.

Canada kept their record intact as they beat the Czech Republic 5-1 and have had their way with the Czechs winning 10 of the last 11. Maxime Comtois opened the scoring when he took a blindside pass from Owen Tippett as he was rounding the net and banked the puck in off the back of Czech forward Martin Kaut. Ondre Machala tied the game up after beating goaltender Michael Dipietro on a 2-on-1 taking a great pass from Jan Jenik. With the score tied at one, Czech forward Martin Kaut took a boarding penalty when he pushed Canadian defenceman Evan Bouchard into the boards from behind sending Canada to the powerplay. Brett Leason tipped the point shot by Ty Smith by Czech goaltender Jiri Patera to help Canada regain the lead. 17-year-old Alexis Lafreniere scored as he took a short pass from Jack Studnicka and rifled a hard one timer past Patera. Joe Veleno made a nice pass back to MacKenzie Entwistle, who was the trailer on a 3 on 2, and snapped a quick shot short side to go up 4-1. To cap things off in the 3rd, Czech Captain Martin Necas took a checking from behind penalty as he pasted Canadian defensemen Bouchard into the boards. Canada made quick work of that on the power play as Morgan Frost buried his 4th goal of the tournament on a sweet cross ice pass from Nick Suzuki to make things 5-1. Canada never looked back as they played a strong game, and Dipietro closed the door stopping 23 of the 24 shots that he faced for the win.

Team Canada closed out round robin play on New Year’s Eve with a battle for top spot against Team Russia, who has been dominant in their outings up until that point. This was Canada’s toughest test so far in the tournament, as they walked through Denmark and the Czechs. Canada played short a defenseman as Jared McIsaac sat out with a one-game suspension for a hit to the head during the Czech game. Canada opened the scoring early as Cody Glass poke- checked the puck loose in front of the Russian net where Owen Tippett was able to slide it back quickly to Glass who beat Russian Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.. Russia tied the game up on the power play with Morgan Frost off for a checking from behind penalty, as Grigori Denisenko took a beautiful cross ice pass from Vitali Kravtsov on his off wing and lifted it up top corner past Dipietro to tie the game.

After a fairly even first period, the Canadian squad came out and dominated the Russians in the second period, playing their best period of the tournament, outshooting Russia 13-4, but Kochetkov played great and really kept the Russians in with many magnificent saves. Russia managed to get back to their game in the third, and a great effort by Pavel Shen who he took a pass in his own end from Alexander Romanov and took it all the way up the right side of the ice powering his way by the Canadian defense, cutting his way to the net and tucking it past Dipietro to give the Russians the lead. DiPietro played well to keep Canada in this game, including stopping two breakaways late in the game to give them a chance. Canada pressed to the end, but Kochetkov shut the door on the Canadians helping his squad earn top spot in the pool.

With Canada losing to Russia, it set them second in the pool earning them a quarterfinal date with Finland, who had finished 3rd in their pool, instead of playing Slovakia, as a victory against Russia would have secured. It was a very tight close game. Finland came out with a strong performance from the start and looked really good against the Canadians. After a scoreless first period, Canada struck first as Barrett Hayton carried the puck in and lost it making a move through the slot. The puck found its way to a pinching Ian Mitchell who slid in and beat Finnish goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen high top shelf to put the host nation on top. This game seemed to be a battle of goalies, as both goaltenders played extremely well. Luukkonen was stellar in this game (and the tournament as a whole) and was the largest factor in the Finnish win.

DiPietro also played exceptionally well for Canada, and bailed them out time and time again, as they seemed to have set into defense mode and tried to preserve the one goal lead as Finland keep on coming on strong. Things went well until the last minute of the third period, when with 46 seconds left and the Finnish goal empty, Eeli Tolvanen carried the puck in and around the Canadian net when he banked the puck off the net, and then threw it in front when it came back to him, and he bankied it off Aleksi Heponiemi’s leg, after which it redirected up DiPietro’s stick and over his shoulder to tie the game. Both teams had opportunities in overtime, but Canada seemed to have had the better opportunities, none better than when defensemen Evan Bouchard poke checked Finnish Captain Tolvanen at the Canadian blue line, breaking away on his own on Luukkonen before Tolvanen slashed Bouchard’s stick out of his hands causing the referee to put up his hands indicating a penalty shot. Hunter chose Captain Maxime Comtois to take the shot. Comtois broke in, Luukkonen flashed the five hole and Comtois tried to slide the puck through but the Finnish net minder closed his legs quickly, making a great save and stoning the captain. Canada continued to press in overtime when Cody Glass broke down the right side and threaded a perfect cross ice pass to a streaking Noah Dobson who leaned in for a one timer on an empty net, only to have his stick shatter, allowing Aleksi Heponiemi to move up ice quickly to Aarne Talvitie who broke in and dropped a pass to Toni Utunen who followed up the play and let a shot go that deflected off of the stick of Cody Glass beating DiPietro to end Canada’s medal hopes.

After the overtime goal was scored by Finland, it was like the life was sucked out of Rogers arena, as the crowd and host nation were in shock. To call this disappointing would probably be an understatement, and surely the Hockey Canada brass was not pleased with the results. You can rest assured that they are already working on changing things for next year’s tournament. Maybe it was the unlucky 13, as It was the 13th time that Canada has hosted the event, and first time that they have failed to come away with a medal. It was also the second time in 21 years that they have failed to get a medal. With a team that was loaded with speed, talent and skill, there is no reason why this team could not have earned a medal on home ice. It just goes to show, no matter how good or stacked that a team may be, the games are still won on the ice, and anything can happen.

This team looked so good to start, as they destroyed Denmark, squeaked by the Swiss, and then handily defeated the Czechs. When the competition got better, things got much more difficult for them. They did manage to open the scoring in each and every game, and they just got caught playing on their heels as Russia and Finland were resilient, and they couldn't switch gears. After scoring 14 goals in their first game, and a total of 22 goals in the first three, they managed only two goals in their final two games. Maxime Comtois led the team in goals with five, and Morgan Frost led the team in points with eight. The top line of Cody Glass, Owen Tippett and Comtois dominated early. Some of the stats are a bit inflated from the Denmark game, and they seemed to fizzle at the end. Mind you they did play two of the best teams in Russia and Finland, and two goaltenders who played great in Kochetkov with a save percentage of 95.3% and goals against of 1.45, and Luukkonen with a save percentage of 93.2% and goals against of 1.80. Michael DiPietro also played great in net for Canada as he put up a save percentage of 95.2% and a goals against of 1.23. His team just didn't score enough goals for to help him out.

Special teams are another category that was not one of their strengths, and in this short tournament, if your special teams can’t capitalize, you won’t go very far. Canada’s power play was the second worst in the tournament, second only to Denmark, as they went 3 for 18 for a 16% success rate. Coach Tim Hunter was reluctant to change things up, and stuck with his unit, even though it couldn't deliver. The penalty kill, was also ranked in the lower tier of the tournament, as it performed at an 80% clip, slightly ahead of Sweden, Slovakia and Denmark. It is a good thing that they were the second least penalized team, with Morgan Frost leading the team with 12 minutes. They struggled on faceoffs and puck possession, as Cody Glass led the team in faceoffs winning 66% of them. The next best were Comtois at 56%, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan at 54%. There are some really good puck possession teams here, and since they lost most of the draws, they were chasing the puck, or allowing teams to come in on them.

Speed was another inconsistent trait of the team. Hunter wanted a fast team, and this team has lots of speed, they just seemed to get stuck on cruise control, showing glimpses here and there, but just not consistently as they were not getting to pucks first or controlling the flow. I am not sure if it was just the style of play that this team wanted, but they never really looked comfortable or confident out there in the latter part of the tournament. Perhaps it was the pressure of an inexperienced group playing in front of home crowd, or maybe they thought it would be easy after the 14-0 thumping in the Denmark game to start the tournament, or maybe they were just the recipients of some bad bounces that didn't go their way. Either way, this was a very disappointing result for Canada.

Some positive take-aways from this year’s tournament: Brett Leason played well in his first world junior with three goals and five points. He showed off his good speed, his ability to go to the net and create scoring chances, as well as his nice set of hands. As one of only two undrafted players on this team, with 29 goals and 68 points in 35 WHL games, he will surely find a taker at this year’s draft, possibly very early. The other being 17-year-old phenom Alexis Lafreniere, who got to see action in his first tournament, playing against such high end competition, and he even scored a goal. Although he played a minor role this year, the projected first overall pick in the 2020 draft will certainly be back next year, and possibly the year after, so this team will very much be his, and it will be his turn to shine. He has good speed, size and strength, and his offensive skills are top notch. Scoring 19 goals and 60 points in 36 games for Rimouski, this was a great learning curve and experience for him. With the rest of the players on this team already drafted, most will move on next year.

Canada’s defense and goaltending played fairly well throughout the tournament. Evan Bouchard has a strong showing, with the Oilers prospect displaying a good transition game, and was very big part of Team Canada. His strength, speed and mobility almost single handedly sent Canada to the semi-finals as he drew the penalty shot in overtime against Finland. Smooth skating defender Ty Smith played a strong transition game and really helped move the puck up ice. Both Ian Mitchell, and Markus Phillips played very well for Canada, and never looked out of place. Mitchell is smaller defender, a smart player who skates well with good offensive instincts and an impressive shot. Phillips is also a good skater who likes to join the rush and get involved with the play. As mentioned above, DiPietro was the best player for Canada, and also posted the best tournament stats for goaltenders. Playing in his future team’s home rink, helped lay a foundation for the youngster as the crowd adored him.

Canadian hockey fans will dissect this in and out, what could have been, what should have been, what went wrong here or there. But one thing is for sure, Hockey Canada will work hard to bring another strong team to next year’s IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Ostrava and Trinec of the Czech Republic, as they make another run for gold.

QMJHL Trade Deadline: Want to improve your QMJHL team this season? Pay up!

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:43:55 +0000

The QMJHL’s silly season is upon us.

The league’s trading period opens up Sunday, and several trades are already in the books, some of which were consummated before the opening bell was officially opened. The period closes up on January 6. One thing to be expected this season: contenders will have to pay to make their teams better heading into the second half.

All eyes are on the Halifax Mooseheads this season as the Memorial Cup hosts in May. Because of this, the team has some extra pressure to build a contender. On paper, they are one of the strongest teams in the entirety of the Canadian Hockey League, but they have struggled a little bit with consistency. The team is noticing some potential issues that may need solving for the tourney, adding to their depth.

Now, if newspaper quotes are to be believed, Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell is not all that interested in blowing up the future for the present, as he observes that his team could be even better next season as presently constructed. However, this year is a guaranteed Memorial Cup berth, whereas future years are earned solely by hard work from August-to-May. The sure thing dictates that this declaration is just posturing, as a Memorial Cup host can expect a heightened market for any assets.

Further, this Mooseheads squad could use some tinkering. Edmonton Oiler forward Ostap Safin, acquired from Saint John at the start of the season, has been in and out of the lineup due to ongoing hip issues. Overager Jordan Maher has simply not been the best fit with the team with just four goals so far, despite his best efforts. Anaheim Ducks prospect Antoine Morand’s game has been as expected, but the numbers are not quite where they should be, with 28 points in 29 games. Potential first rounder Raphaël Lavoie has hit a bit of a snag this season, not looking like himself from last season; he is scoring less and seeing his focus wane at times this season. The offence, a strong suit in prior years, is sixth-best in the league right now, with a few blowouts augmenting the numbers.

New Jersey Devils defender Jocktan Chainey has seen his ice time drop and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Jake Ryczek has seen his rise, but behind Jared McIsaac and Justin Barron, who have been solid, there is no big third defender option. Despite that, the team has solid defending numbers, tied for second-best in goals against.

To his credit, goaltender Alexis Gravel has been maybe the team’s most valuable player so far this season, but his backup option is Cole MacLaren, a decent choice but not a goalie you want starting against the OHL and WHL champions.

To that end, Halifax will be in on a defenceman this trading period, and potentially a second goaltender as well. If the price is right, they may also look to add to the forward group to try and jumpstart the offence.

Noah Dobson

Thankfully for the Mooseheads, the two biggest names available in the trading period are both defencemen. New York Islanders prospect Noah Dobson is the biggest fish in the pond, and right behind him is Arizona Coyotes draft pick Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

The price for Dobson will set the market, as he is the prize all teams are competing for. Dobson is a game-changer on defence, capable of controlling a game from the back-end, and has championship experience on the biggest stage. Joseph is a very solid consolation prize, as teams who find the price for Dobson too high may rather try to acquire one of the league’s hardest workers and smartest players. The Islanders also have very useful players to add into a Joseph trade to help a win-now team, such as Keith Getson or Anaheim Ducks prospect Hunter Drew, but it’s believed that Jim Hulton is not looking for far-off picks, preferring players that can help as early as next season in exchange for his assets. Having said that, the Islanders are in a contending position, and could choose either to stand pat or add to their team.

What is interesting in the Dobson speculation is that it is rumoured that any deal involving him will have to go through the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, as part of conditions of a prior deal for Bathurst last season. The Sags would rather the assets that Dobson would provide rather than use him this season, as Chicoutimi is a middling team with no real title aspirations this season. The suspense will run into the new year, as Dobson cannot officially be traded until his term with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships are over.

There are some top-level defender and forwards beyond those two, but in goal, most contenders seem to be set with one or two good goaltenders. There are many options for a team to buy for a playoff run – Minnesota Wild prospect Dereck Baribeau from Quebec, Pittsburgh Penguin signee Alex D’Orio in Saint John and fellow Penguin camp attendee Tristan Côté-Cazenave, to name three – but most of the top teams are set in net.

The changed playoff format this season could also have an effect on the trading period, due to the imbalance of talent between the Eastern and the Western Conferences. Starting this year, to prevent so many easy matchups in the first round and to cut down on potential travel, the league decided to drop the 1-vs-16 format and form two conferences of two divisions each. The Maritime teams and the Eastern-most Quebec teams form the 10-team East, and the rest create the eight-team West. There is the potential for wildcards to allow the top 16 teams to make the playoffs, but the weakness of this playoff format is best demonstrated by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. At the time of writing, the Eagles would hold home ice in the old playoff format, sitting in eighth spot in the league. Because of the new conference format, though, Cape Breton would be sixth in the East, drawing a tough, contending Baie-Comeau team, on the road no less, in the opening round, rather than 11th-place Quebec. That format change could influence some teams in terms of whether to buy, sell or stand pat this season.

Two definite contenders outside of Halifax that dominate the list of other potential buyers are the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Rouyn-Noranda are a very strong team built from within and coached and managed by last year’s Memorial Cup winner, Mario Pouliot. They are hard-working, very deep in net and on defence, and just one player on the entire roster has played for another Q team. Their wildcard is the potential return of injured Pittsburgh Penguin prospect Zachary Lauzon. His return would put the Huskies in limbo with their overagers, and they would have to make a decision on their 20-year-olds.

Joe Veleno

The Voltigeurs are maybe the league’s deepest team, led by Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime Comtois and Detroit Red Wings first rounder Joe Veleno up front, Chicago Blackhawks first rounder Nicolas Beaudin and New Jersey Devils prospect Xavier Bernard on defence, along with Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Rodrigue in goal. Comtois’s return to the Q is maybe the biggest acquisition any team could have made this season. They are a rumoured team for Dobson, and adding Dobson to Beaudin and Bernard defensively would make Drummondville a very tough team to face in the playoffs with that three-headed monster on the back end.

One team that is certainly making some changes is the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. General Manager Steve Ahern has promised that several trades will be announced Sunday. They are heavily linked to the above-mentioned D’Orio.

Further with the Drakkar, Calgary Flames pick D’Artignan Joly has left the team on his own accord, awaiting a trade. Joly and the team have had a bumpy 2018, with player wanting to be more creative and team wishing he was more engaged and aggressive. Joly can absolutely score at this level, but he is an artist more than he is a worker.

Editor’s note – prior to publication, it was announced that Joly had been dealt to Victoriaville

The Rimouski Oceanic were a contender for the league title on paper this season, but they look up at the Drakkar at this point in the year and are facing a decision – do they go for it or hold back and go for it next year. According to bench boss Serge Beausoleil, they will be tentative, but not sell off players who won’t return, including captain Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who drew some interest from the Ottawa Senators in the summer. The Oceanic are the proud team of phenom Alexis Lafrenière, who will return to the league next season, and Rimouski could set themselves up to be an even better team next season.

The Moncton Wildcats may opt to do the same, as they have a high-flying offence, but many players also set to return for next season, namely potential first rounder Jakob Pelletier and Minnesota Wild pick Alex Khovanov, despite some issues on the defensive end. Unlike the Oceanic, though, players not returning next season or otherwise not in the plans for next season could be available for trade.

Among the anticipated sellers, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan have also had a move announced ahead of Sunday’s opening day for the mid-season trading period. They will acquire forward Anderson MacDonald from the Wildcats for a pair of picks. MacDonald has not had the bounce-back season either he or the Wildcats were hoping after he was surprisingly undrafted in last June’s NHL Entry Draft. MacDonald has battled injuries all year, and has played in only four games, largely on the fourth line, before being shuffled out of Moncton to the north of New Brunswick.

The Titan have also all but moved Dobson, fellow blueliner Keenan MacIsaac and forward Ethan Crossman, and will continue to take calls on defender Michal Ivan. The foursome all played key roles for the Memorial Cup winning Titan squad last year, as they look to set themselves up for a rebuild.

Editor’s note – Prior to publication, both Crossman and MacIsaac were dealt to Baie-Comeau

One can add the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to the list of potential sellers, as they may look into cashing in on the remaining assets from three straight strong playoff runs. Montreal Canadiens prospect Joël Teasdale is a name that would garner lots of interest, and they have many useful veterans they do not need this season – Rémy Anglehart, Alex Katerinakis, Luke Henman, Thomas Ethier and Charles-Antoine Giguère come to mind. The Armada could recoup a lot of assets for their collection of forwards.

Editor’s note – Giguère was traded to Moncton prior to publication

The Gatineau Olympiques could also cash in on a few of their players for the future, namely Minnesota Wild prospect Shawn Boudrias and overager Gabriel Bilodeau, who could put up points on a contender looking to upgrade their powerplay. So could Val-d’Or’s David Noel, a St. Louis Blues pick, who is 19, but is currently on the shelf with an eye injury.

The composition of the QMJHL’s top teams will look different between now and January, and despite the high prices, expect a lot of player movement this time around.

QMJHL 2018-19 Preview: Voltigeurs, Oceanic early favourites to join Mooseheads at Memorial Cup

Michael Sanderson — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 11:59:22 +0000

There is one certainty in the 2018-19 QMJHL season: the Halifax Mooseheads have already punched their ticket to the 2019 Memorial Cup.

They printed the tickets, in fact.

Halifax is the host for the CHL’s holy grail tournament in May, and the question is, what team joins them at the big dance?

Two teams have revealed themselves to be the cream of the crop, at least on paper at the onset of the season: the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Rimouski Oceanic.

Benoit Olivier-Groulx

But Halifax may be the best of them all, with a deep lineup throughout, led by forwards Antoine Morand, Benoît-Olivier Groulx, Jordan Maher and draft-eligibles Raphaël Lavoie and Xavier Parent. They only lack a minute-eater on defence, depending on the progression of blueliners Jared McIsaac, a Detroit pick, and Justin Barron, and a consistent starting netminder, though Chicago pick Alexis Gravel has the potential to steal games. The acquisitions of Ostap Safin and Samuel Asselin only further bolster a strong offensive attack for head coach Eric Veilleux’s group.

Drummondville’s true potential will depend on the potential return of forward Maxime Comtois. The bruising two-way forward has turned a great showing at Anaheim’s camp, and some luck with an injury to Corey Perry, into a chance at some real live NHL games that count this season, and if he were to stick in the pros, it would be a big blow to the Volts’ title hopes. The team is deep beyond him, boasting Joe Veleno and Pavel Koltygin up front, NHL-draftees Xavier Bernard and first-rounder Nicolas Beaudin on the back end, and the league’s best goaltender in Olivier Rodrigue defending the cage. Top to bottom, Drummondville is Halifax’s biggest challenger on paper.

Rimouski has the league’s biggest name in Alexis Lafrenière, who still can’t be picked until the 2020 NHL Draft. Lafrenière has already made a name for himself on the international stage, and will be looking to improve on his 80 points from last season. The Oceanic finished third in the league last year, and holding onto that spot is the least of their expectations. Rimouski was upset in the first round last March, and will look to improve on that and go on a deep run. Adding Jimmy Huntington, Cédric Paré and Olivier Garneau to the fold up front provides strong depth to an already formidable group.

Beyond the big three, there are several clubs that could surprise, including offensive juggernauts in Baie-Comeau and Moncton, and wildcard teams like Charlottetown, Cape Breton and Quebec.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar started very hot out the gate with strong offensive play, including San Jose’s Ivan Chekhovich and Tampa Bay’s Gabriel Fortier among the top scorers. Undrafted forward Yaroslav Alexeyev, acquired from Sherbrooke in the summer, has already made an impact. Xavier Bouchard leads a middling defense corps, and Kyle Jessiman joins Justin Blanchette in a bit of a loaded crease.

The Wildcats have the horses up front to do damage as well. Last season’s shot leader Jeremy McKenna returns along with Mika Cyr, while undrafted forward Anderson MacDonald, tries to show teams he deserved to be picked last June. They shipped netminder Mark Grametbauer to Bathurst, opting instead to go forward with former Drakkar and Armada goalie Francis Leclerc. Their defence needs work, but stalwarts Jonathan Aspirot and Gabriel Sylvestre head the group.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Charlottetown was slept on a lot at the start of last season, but they surprised and made it to the third round, where they were finally knocked out in seven games by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. They hope to build momentum from final four finishes the last two seasons, but if they get off to a cold start, they have two of the best players available for trade at Christmas: Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph and netminder Matt Welsh.

Cape Breton is hungry for a winner, and they acquired 40-goal man Mitchell Balmas and defender Antoine Crête-Belzile to jump to contending status. Ottawa goalkeeper Kevin Mandolese looks to grow this season as the clear number one goalie as Jessiman was traded to Baie-Comeau.

Quebec returns with the biggest wild card in the whole league: new/old head coach and general manager Patrick Roy. Patrick is either loved or hated by every QMJHL hockey fan, but there is no denying he brings excitement and intensity to the product. He adds a few wins to any team he coaches, and will do so here. While Roy’s development record isn’t the strongest in the Quebec league, he is responsible for players like Jonathan Marchessault and Logan Shaw. Potential Minnesota signee Dereck Baribeau and Chicago pick Philipp Kurashev, too.

The league has adjusted their divisions and playoff format this season. Instead of three divisions, there are four. The Maritime Division has six teams, while the 12 remaining squads are split up into three four-team groupings.

Playoffs will be conference based with a 1-plays-8 format, but the 16 best teams will make the playoffs – the conferences will be shuffled so the top 16 will be in the post-season no matter what. This method avoids the top seeds breezing through the first round of the playoffs, and it prevents some of the more extreme travel in the early rounds. However, this format can prevent some monumental upsets, much like 14-seed Moncton defeating third-seed Rimouski last year.

Acadie-Bathurst’s storybook season last year resulted in a Memorial Cup championship, but it’s now time to pay the piper for the party. The Titan acquired netminder Mark Grametbauer to provide some stability in goal but have traded away much of the core from last season’s winning squad.

Noah Dobson on Acadie-Bathurst. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

One player to watch is still in a Titan uniform – Islanders first rounder Noah Dobson. The performance of the team in the first two months of the season will depend if the watch is on his talent or his future destination at Christmas time. Teams will be lining up for his services when the mid-season trading period opens up, and there aren’t many teams in the league that would refuse the best defenseman in the QMJHL on their roster for a playoff push.

Tough seasons will be ahead for Chicoutimi and Saint John, but those teams have names to look out for in future drafts – namely Josh Lawrence, William Villeneuve and Jeremie Poirier of the Sea Dogs and Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette of the Saguenéens. They are all up for grabs in 2020 or later.

While there is much time between now and June on the Rogers Arena stage in Vancouver, the first name called from the QMJHL is expected to be Halifax’s Raphaël Lavoie. The Chambly, QC, right winger has great size, speed and hands to succeed at a top-line level in the professional game. He potted 30 goals last season, including a remarkable 10 game winners, and added 33 assists in the full slate of 68 games, and added five points in nine playoff contests.

He does an excellent job of using his 6-4” frame to his advantage as leverage in puck protection, and the long reach to keep the puck away from defenders. With added bulk and physical maturity, he already has the fundamentals to be a strong power forward, puck protector and possession player. He also is adept at firing a strong wrist shot off the rush on the left wing, where he can fire on his off-hand side. At his size, it’s no surprise he is a force in front of the net, either.

While he does have some center potential at the next level, he is an early favourite to receive passes on the right, or left, flank from Antoine Morand, who can most definitely dish with the best in the league. Expect those goal numbers to rise, and the attention with it, by the time the weather heats up in 2019.

Other early favourites to be first rounders include forwards Maxim Cajkovic of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Samuel Poulin of the Sherbrooke Phoenix, Jakob Pelletier of the Moncton Wildcats, Valentin Nussbaumer of the Shawinigan Cataractes, and defender Artemi Knyazev of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.

All but Nussbaumer featured for their respective national teams at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August, though Pelletier fractured his wrist at the tourney and missed the first week of the QMJHL season.

Cajkovic is a power forward waiting to blossom. He has tremendous confidence in the offensive zone to let go his big shot, one of the best available in the draft, and the speed and soft hands to give him the space needed to get it off. His speed separates him from the pack, as well. He is a leader on the ice for a young Sea Dogs team and can inspire his team with a big hit or a big goal.

Poulin is the son of former NHLer Patrick Poulin. He has had a hot start to the season with the trigger finger, and he is just as strong making plays as scoring. He already has a pro size at 6-1” and 204 pounds, and is strong along the boards. He plays much like his father; strong along the boards, in the offensive zone, and defensively where his speed and anticipation make him deadly on the backcheck or on the penalty kill.

Pelletier has a motor that doesn’t quit and a nose for the net, even with his currently small frame. He has been an emotional leader for the Moncton Wildcats since his first shift in the league, and he always works hard to the final whistle. His hockey sense is off-the-charts, as well. He is a strong playmaker and a great passer, and finds his way into traffic to shoot his shot.

Nussbaumer holds two advantages over his league-mates in his quest to get drafted – he can play all three forward positions, and he has already played against men in his native Switzerland. He had a 26-game cup of coffee with his hometown team, Biel-Bienne, last season, with five goals and six points. He is a late September birthday, which also gives him an edge in performance, though he would have been a very good 2018 pick if he was eleven days older.

Knyazev is an offensively talented defenseman who can move the puck crisply. He is also strong in his own end. He isn’t the biggest defender but can handle the speed of oncoming forwards very well and steer them where they need to go. His transition game is an instant offensive tool, and he doesn’t give up on plays.

The Halifax Mooseheads also owns the rights to Victoria Grizzlies forward and potential first rounder Alex Newhook, but even the enticement of the Memorial Cup was not enough to convince the St. John’s, Newfoundland, native to make the jump to the QMJHL. He is committed to Boston College for next season.

Anaheim Ducks Prospect System Overview

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 20:35:05 +0000

The Anaheim Ducks have qualified for the postseason nine times out of the last 11 seasons, and for seven consecutive campaigns. Over the past four seasons, they have advanced to the Western Conference Final twice. The point being, the Ducks almost never have a high first-round selection, with only two top-ten picks (Hampus Lindholm at sixth in 2012 and Nick Ritchie at tenth in 2014) since 2005.

So obviously, for a perennial contender like the Ducks, the most important thing they can do to remain relevant and get a constant influx of youthful depth in the NHL is scout and pick well in the later rounds of the draft. Lucky for fans in Orange County, the orange and black have been stellar in finding talent late into the draft.

From the fourth round on, they've nabbed Troy Terry, Josh Manson, Ondrej Kase, and Sami Vatanen (since traded for Adam Henrique) in the past decade. Of course, there's luck involved in cashing out on late-round steals, but this is a trend with way too much convincing evidence to write it off as pure fortune. Having talented youngsters coming in and helping to extend the dwindling prime of established superstars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will pay dividends in prolonging Anaheim's competitive window.

They've done it with defense -- snagging skilled d-men like Lindholm, Cam Fowler, and Brandon Montour -- but now the focus evidently has turned to the forwards. The top five prospects on this list, as well as eight of the top ten, play up the ice, including dynamic first-rounders like Sam Steel. Tacking forwards onto the currently-assembled NHL roster is essential, as the Ducks finished 16th -- last amongst postseason teams -- in goals for in 2017-18.

With defense locked down and forwards on the rise, goaltending should be a concern. They have two goaltenders in the top 20, both are under 20 years old, with neither sitting in a top ten position. However, with the eight-year extension of borderline elite starting goaltender John Gibson, they have time to wait. Their only worry right now is the one they are addressing, and with the Ducks' adept ability to produce quality forwards through their AHL affiliate in San Diego, all will work out.

Sam Steel

1 Sam Steel, C (30th overall, 2016. Last year: 1st) One the most complete prospects in the game, Steel's foray into the professional hockey ranks will begin this year, be it with Anaheim or with AHL San Diego. Steel's 2017-18 campaign was abridged due to injuries, but the playmaking center paced all WHL players in points the year prior with 131. The former first-round selection has unreal rink senses and creativity and can be dangerous with and without the puck thanks to his play-reading smarts and his positioning. He's a stellar skater with plus acceleration and has developed his shot into a formidable scoring option. All that needs to improve are his size and strength. With question marks floating around the health of Ryan Kesler, Steel could see top-nine minutes with the Ducks right out of training camp.

2 Isac Lundestrom, C (23rd overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A creative two-way player with pro-level rink discipline, Lundestrom was one of just eight centers selected in the first round of June's entry draft and might be the most mature and smart of them all. Having already completed two seasons in the SHL, the 18-year-old is very responsible with the puck and has great timing down already. Lundestrom has a knack for finding open passing lanes and exposing poor positional play from the opposition and has a strong frame that makes his play on the puck better. He isn't a forceful offensive player, and his issue with compiling points (just 15 in 42 games in 2017-18) is due to a lack of assertiveness; he's imaginative with the puck and has soft hands but is too concerned with defensive efforts to give it his all in the o-zone.

3 Troy Terry, RW (148th overall, 2015. Last year: 5th) Known for his shootout heroics on the World Junior stage, Troy Terry's ridiculously quick hands and innovation with the puck on his stick has translated well in other facets of the game. The former NCAA champion with Denver uses his phenomenal puck-handling to get past defenders and his patient but lethal shooting ability to snipe pucks past fooled goaltenders. His positioning is solid, and his two-way game has been steadily improving over time. Leaving the college ranks before his senior year, the 20-year-old signed his entry-level deal with Anaheim and will likely begin the season with San Diego. All he needs to do is get stronger and grow into his 6-1" frame, but much like Ondrej Kase, the Ducks have found themselves a steal of a late-round winger.

4 Maxime Comtois, LW (50th overall, 2017. Last year: 7th) Projected as a first-round pick back in 2017, the QMJHL star dropped to the Ducks at 50th overall and has worked on rounding out his game with Victoriaville since his draft season. Always a strong scoring threat, Comtois posted a team-high 85 points this season while boasting a better defensive game than ever. He plays a very physical game in the offensive zone and out and leverages that size and grit to his advantage to generate scoring opportunities for his team with strong possession-play and great balance. He's a decent skater, has good hands, and is exceptional in terms of positional play. Whether his scoring touch will translate to the NHL is the only question left to answer, as the remainder of his game is refined and mature.

Benoit Olivier-Groulx

5 Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) With a long-time hockey head coach for a father, Benoit-Olivier Groulx comes with the hockey sense and coachability you might expect. Add that to his quality physical game, his strong and accurate wrist shot, and his adaptability into a variety of roles and game styles, and you have a quality second-round pick. The Ducks nabbed the center from Halifax (where he was formerly the number-one pick in the QMJHL draft) at 54th in June, though Groulx was projected by many as a top-40 prospect. His skating is flawed, and he isn't much of a scorer, but he processes the game extremely fast and never makes an irresponsible play. As someone who can play the wing just as well as he plays center, Groulx looks to be a middle-six physical forward with some penalty kill usage.

6 Josh Mahura, D (85th overall, 2016. Last year: 10th) In a system chock full of mobile, puck-moving defensemen, Josh Mahura fits right in. After a torn MCL in his draft year limited the left-hander to just two WHL games, he has since exploded and become point-per-game blueliner with Regina, where he was third in team points last season. He's a fearsome offensive presence who always wants the puck on his stick, and whether that be to shoot or pass, you can be confident it's heading to the right place. He has tremendous vision and a sizzler of a shot, and as the 20-year-old slides into pro play, he'll work on the one thing that ails him: d-zone coverage and zone-entry defense.

7 Blake McLaughlin, LW (79th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A University of Minnesota commit, Blake McLaughlin is a smart and skilled undersized forward with the vision to match the best playmakers of his 2018 draft class. He was one of few players on a dysfunctional Chicago Steel to routinely create dangerous opportunities, and he does so with his determination, hockey sense, and great tape-to-tape passing skills. McLaughlin has quick hands and holds his own defensively, allowing for potential as a penalty killer at higher levels. A top-40 prospect in our draft guide, the 18-year-old lefty fell due to his inconsistency and his size deficiencies but can workshop the two in the NCAA ranks.

8 Max Jones, LW (24th overall, 2016. Last year: 4th) After injury ravaged his 2017-18 season, Max Jones understandably fell in our rankings compared to last season. Nonetheless, the former first-rounder is a strong, sturdy, and skilled power forward with a goal scorer's acumen and superb wheels. The Kingston Frotenacs winger plays with an angry and feisty demeanor for better or worse (he's twice been suspended for 10+ games in his OHL career) but when he's feeling it, that explosive swagger pays off for him and his linemates. Jones needs to stay healthy as he begins to transition to the AHL and NHL ranks, and additionally, work on staying cool and becoming less prone to penalties. Otherwise, he has the skill and speed to match his fellow first-rounders.

9 Antoine Morand, C (60th overall, 2017. Last year: 9th) Much like Steel, Morand's game revolves around his hockey sense and vision on offense. An assist machine, he has totaled 70 or more points in each of his last two seasons in the QMJHL, while leading Acadie-Bathurst in points this past season. He has good straight-ahead speed, swift hands, a decent finishing touch, and great stick skills. He will need to clean his two-way game up a bit and add more muscle to his slight frame before any move to the pro ranks occurs, but his speed and offensive firepower as a grade A setup man suggests a sure NHL future.

Jacob Larsson

10 Jacob Larsson, D (27th overall, 2015. Last year: 3rd) Jacob Larsson still has a little while to go before the book comes out on him, but he may not be the dynamic offensive defenseman the Ducks drafted him as. Thankfully, with a good core of young d-men at the NHL level, Anaheim has the luxury of waiting on Larsson to improve. He is a gifted skater with poetic pure movement on his feet, boasts fast hands, and possesses NHL-ready size. The Swede puts himself into trouble too often with poor passes and needlessly long shifts, and really, the points are coming like they should for a blueliner with as much pure skill as Larsson (16 in 50 games for San Diego). His flaws are coachable things, but at 21, defensemen of Larsson's pedigree generally have those things down by then.

11 Olle Eriksson Ek, G (153rd overall, 2017. Last year: 11th) With John Gibson locked up long-term, Anaheim has time to wait for their goaltending prospects to fully mature and come to fruition. At just 19, Eriksson Ek has a long way to go, but a whole bunch of raw skill upon which to build. One good sign in his development is his presence as a regular in the SHL at his young age. At 6-3" and 186lbs, he's big and only getting bigger, and when you couple that pure size with his plus athleticism and strong play-reading abilities, you have a near-complete goaltender. The Swede will be given tons of opportunities down the road as the top young goalie in the system.

12 Lukas Dostal, G (85th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Of course, competition breeds excellence, and Lukas Dostal is the perfect prospect to help push Eriksson Ek out of his comfort zone. An undersized netminder, Dostal was worth the gamble of a third-round pick in June by virtue of his unwavering compete level and above-average athleticism. At 18, he is not the most technically refined goaltender, but he moves well laterally and is calm enough to keep his focus square on the puck. Dostal has one of the highest ceilings out of goaltenders selected in 2018's draft, and his success as an 18-year-old in the second Czech men's league (2.43 GAA, .921 Sv%) is promising.

13 Jack Badini, C (91st overall, 2017. Last year: 12th) Jack Badini is a coach's dream. The Harvard center is already an accomplished one, having led USHL Chicago in goals and playoff scoring during 2016-17's Clark Cup run, but his smarts and willingness to play in a variety of roles makes him one of the most valuable players in a pretty loaded Crimson lineup. Badini just does whatever he's asked; he's a middle-six, penalty-killing checking line forward in one game, and a top-six goal scoring threat the next. He has great speed, energy, size, and hockey smarts. The 19-year-old is a long-term project at Harvard but has a lot of unteachable qualities down.

14 Kevin Roy, LW (97th overall, 2012. Last year: 6th) One of the most dangerous forwards in the San Diego lineup over the past two seasons, Kevin Roy made his NHL debut with the Ducks last season and fared well, scoring six goals in 25 games as a bottom-six winger. Roy has tremendous puck skills and a heads-up gameplay style that can casually spring his linemates out for easy chances, as well as beat defenders in one-on-one situations. He's a bit of a one-trick pony in that his positioning and defensive game is less than stellar, and on account of this, he isn't really a weapon away from the puck. However, the 25-year-old has enough raw skill for the Ducks to utilize him well as a depth scorer.

Kalle Kossila

15 Kalle Kossila, C (Free Agent Signing: March 30, 2016. Last year: 15th) A near point-per-game player in the AHL last season, Kalle Kossila is supremely skilled and mature enough to take on a depth NHL role in the blink of an eye. The undrafted forward, formerly of St. Cloud State fame, has unreal vision and near-elite passing skills that always have the puck moving in the right direction. He is more of a setup man than a shooter, but his wrist shot is heavy and accurate, and his positioning for quick shots when away from the puck is solid. He isn't a two-way player, but he's experienced enough to stay away from risky passes and unnecessary turnovers. Kossila also plays with a pretty greasy physical element that allows him to round out his checking-line forward ceiling. He's the perfect bottom-six depth scoring threat for a contending NHL team like Anaheim.

16 Andy Welinski, D (83rd overall, 2011. Last year: 13th) Andy Welinski has no single dynamic skill, but he's one of those old school defensemen that does all the little things well enough to ensure a roster spot. After four full years at Minnesota-Duluth, he charged into the AHL and has used his above-average skating ability, fiery point shot, high hockey IQ, and exceptional defensive-zone coverage to potentially earn an NHL job with Anaheim as soon as this season. At 25, the right-hander truly has no additional development to do, and his ceiling as a bottom-pair defensive defenseman has been reached; it's up to the Ducks to decide if they want to plug the solid and sturdy 2011 draft pick into a splendid defensive core.

17 Jack Kopacka, LW (93rd overall, 2016. Last year: 14th) Jack Kopacka may not have the highest ceiling of the prospects listed here, but his energy and goal-scoring touch provide some enticing potential for the future. The speedy winger has an electric set of shots, can get a chance on net from a variety of ridiculous angles, and connects on a bunch of those shots, scoring 30+ goals in each of the past two campaigns with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie. He's also a hard-working winger who can create his scoring opportunities on his own and do it the hard and physical way with his 6-3" body. Kopacka has a year of junior eligibility left, where he will -- for his sake -- work on his backchecking and puck-possession ability.

18 Giovanni Fiore, LW (Free Agent Signing: April 18, 2017. Last year: Unranked) An enigmatic winger out of junior, not many looked at Fiore as a legitimate prospect entering and during his first pro season, but a quality debut year in the AHL erased some of the question marks around him. Fiore is a graceful skater with impressive offensive vision and used those skills to score 18 goals and 12 assists with the Gulls last season after a 52-goal final junior campaign. He clearly has a natural goal scorer's most important traits, including an untiring determination to drive right to the net with the puck and employ his plus finishing skills to pot a goal. He seems to be a pure scoring player with a lack of versatility, but he's a guy that can create his chances solo and provide matchup problems for the defense.

19 Marcus Pettersson, D (38th overall, 2014. Last year: 17th) Maybe Marcus Pettersson never reaches the talent ceiling a high second-round pick should have, but Ducks fans got to see firsthand how smart and calm the big, lofty defenseman is. Pettersson held his own in 22 games with the Ducks and played top-pair minutes with the Gulls when he was down in the AHL. He's an extremely responsible, no-risk defensive defenseman with good reads, great gap control, and solid use of his advantage in size. He has fine instincts and is always on to defend late leads for San Diego. Pettersson will never be a go-to offensive option, but with Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm around, he doesn't need to be.

20 Kyle Olson, RW (122nd overall, 2017. Last year: 8th) Though he only played in 36 games with Tri-City of the WHL, Kyle Olson's point total from his draft year fell off a cliff, going from 57 to 18. The undersized but energetic forward has a chance to redeem himself this season with the Americans, however, as the 19-year-old's strong wrist shot, solid two-way gameplay, and impressively tough physical game for someone his size make him a good bet for a big rebound year. He plays with fearlessness and more greasiness than his 5-10", 161lb frame naturally provides, and competes with high effort levels on the Tri-City PK. He needs to stay healthy and consistent to remain on the Ducks' radar going forward.

Maxime Comtois – McKeen's Hockey

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

ANAHEIM

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

GOALTENDING

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Factors that make top value fantasy picks – the unexpected and perhaps should have been expected

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS 4/8/21 – Rangers have turned into a scoring machine plus Vincent Trocheck, Andrew Copp, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, and more ..

Anaheim Ducks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

MCKEEN’S 2019-20 YEARBOOK: Top 25 Rookies

Cale Makar, D, Col

Quinn Hughes, D, Van

Kaapo Kakko, RW, NYR

Jack Hughes, C, NJ

Sam Steel, C, Ana

Joel Farabee, LW, Phi

Erik Brannstrom, D, Ott

Martin Necas, C/RW, Car

Elvis Merzlikins, G, Clb

Adam Fox, D, NYR

The Next 15 Candidates are Listed Alphabetically

Drake Batherson, C/RW, Ott

Mackenzie Blackwood, G, NJ

Evan Bouchard, D, Edm

Maxime Comtois, LW, Ana

Thatcher Demko, G, Van

Noah Dobson, D, NYI

Dante Fabbro, D, Nsh

Cody Glass, C, Vgk

Carl Grundstrom, LW/RW, LA

Denis Gurianov, RW/LA, Dal

Taro Hirose, LW, Det

Victor Olofsson, LW, Buf

Ryan Poehling, C, Mtl

Alexandre Texier, C/LW, Clb

Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW, Nsh

QMJHL Playoff Preview: Huskies leaders of the pack in the President’s Cup playoff

Predictions

First Round

Second Round

Third Round

League Championship

2019 IIHF World Junior Championship Review: Canada

QMJHL Trade Deadline: Want to improve your QMJHL team this season? Pay up!

QMJHL 2018-19 Preview: Voltigeurs, Oceanic early favourites to join Mooseheads at Memorial Cup

Anaheim Ducks Prospect System Overview