mike smith – McKeen's Hockey

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Carey Price is diving back into the crease, Robert Thomas and Nico Hischier are making the leap, and college stars like Owen Power, Matty Beniers, Bobby Brink, and Kent Johnson are jumping into the NHL.

Scott Cullen — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 14:37:24 +0000

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

In this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points, Carey Price is diving back into the crease, Robert Thomas and Nico Hischier are making the leap, and college stars like Owen Power, Matty Beniers, Bobby Brink, and Kent Johnson are jumping into the NHL.

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 15: Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) first game of the season after a long injury participates in drills at warm-up before the New York Islanders versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 15, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

#1 It has been a trying season for the Montreal Canadiens, due in part to being without their starting goaltender all year. Carey Price returned to action Friday against the New York Islanders and allowed two goals on 19 shots in a 3-0 loss. In the past four regular seasons, Price has compiled a .909 save percentage in 198 games, which is a little below league average, but he has been excellent in his past five playoffs, earning a .925 save percentage in 62 postseason games since 2013-2014, which is tied with Braden Holtby for the best mark in the league among goaltenders that have appeared in at least 30 playoff games in that span.

#2 The 2020-2021 season should have been a breakout year for St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, who was heading into this third season after showing promise in his first two. Then he scored 12 points in 33 games. That lowered expectations for this season and now Thomas has had that breakout campaign. He has 23 points (6 G, 17 A) during an 11-game point streak and is up to 71 points (18 G, 53 A) in 64 games for the season.

#3 With Jack Hughes sidelined for the rest of the season, New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier steps into the role as the team’s No. 1 center and Hischier has rolled up 34 points (12 G, 22 A) in his past 26 games, recording at least one point in 21 of those 26 games. The reason for long-term hope in New Jersey is largely because of the potential of their top two centers.

#4 The top pick in the 2021 Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, defenseman Owen Power stepped into the NHL after finishing his sophomore season at Michigan, where he put up 32 points (3 G, 29 A) in 33 games for the Wolverines. Power made a seamless transition to the NHL, averaging 21:30 per game in his first two contests. For fantasy purposes, Power’s upside is going to be limited for the time being because Rasmus Dahlin is manning the point on Buffalo’s first power play unit.

#5 Power’s teammate at Michigan, and the second overall pick in last summer’s draft, Matty Beniers joined the Seattle Kraken and, like Power, Beniers looked ready for the challenge. He recorded an assist in his NHL debut and has landed in the No. 1 center spot for the Kraken, between Ryan Donato and Jordan Eberle. Beniers had 43 points (20 G, 23 A) in 37 games as a sophomore for the Wolverines.

#6 Not as highly touted as the kids coming out of Michigan, center Marc McLaughlin was signed by the Boston Bruins after he wrapped up his career at Boston College, where he was the captain for the past two seasons. McLaughlin had 31 points (21 G, 10 A) in 33 games as a senior for the Eagles and has stepped into the Bruins lineup and scored three goals in six games. While McLaughlin is establishing himself as a bona fide NHL player, he has averaged 10:34 of ice time per game thus far, which is indicative of his depth role on the Bruins.

#7 Arizona made a couple of deals to acquire college players before the trade deadline and Jack McBain and Nathan Smith have made their NHL debuts for the Coyotes. McBain, who was brought in from Minnesota, was a teammate of McLaughlin at Boston College and produced 33 points (19 G, 14 A) in 24 games for the Eagles. While McBain has no points and just one shot on goal in his first two NHL games, the puck is moving the right way (56.4%) with him on the ice and this late season audition gives him a chance to show he is NHL ready for next season. Smith was drafted by Winnipeg but was traded to Arizona after he had 50 points (19 G, 31 A) in 38 games for Minnesota State Mankato. Like McBain, Smith has no points and just two shots on goal in his first two games, but the puck is moving the right way (55.9 CF%).

#8 A small winger whose skating is not necessarily his strong suit, Bobby Brink is nevertheless an intriguing option for the Philadelphia Flyers. He has joined the team after winning the national championship for Denver University, piling up 57 points (14 G, 43 A) in 41 games as a junior for the Pioneers. Brink has one assist in his first two NHL games and is skating alongside Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee at evens while also getting a look on the top power play unit, so there is an opportunity for Brink to not only play but to contribute down the stretch.

#9 Another first-round pick out of Michigan Kent Johnson was the fifth overall pick in 2021 by Columbus. He tallied 37 points (8 G, 29 A) in 32 games as a sophomore for the Wolverines and slides into a role on the Blue Jackets’ third line. He is on the second power play unit but Johnson only saw 11 minutes of ice time in his NHL debut so he may not have enough of an opportunity to provide a fantasy impact this season. He will be one to watch for next season.

#10 The Minnesota Wild made splashy trade to bring in Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline and it should be noted that Cam Talbot is hardly giving up the crease. In his past nine starts, Talbot is 7-0-2 with a .936 save percentage. That’s good enough to stay fantasy relevant down the stretch as the Wild do not need to lean heavily on Fleury, even if he is the one that is most likely to see the bulk of the action in the playoffs.

#11 For most of this season, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith has struggled, and it was not so long ago that it looked like Mikko Koskinen would have to be the No. 1 guy for Edmonton down the stretch. Smith, however, has rounded into form and with the Oilers scoring a bunch, Smith has thrived, going 7-1-1 with a .932 save percentage in his past nine starts.

#12 One of the reasons that the Nashville Predators are in position to make the playoffs this season is the production that they have received from center Ryan Johansen. He already has 23 goals, which is his highest goal total in a season since 2014-2015, but it is not like Johansen has had a dramatic spike in shot rate. He is averaging 1.52 shots per game this season, compared to 1.40 per game last season, but he is scoring on a career high 21.3% of his shots and that has made a difference. The question is how sustainable that difference might be.

#13 On the other hand, Nashville has received a career season from Matt Duchene, who has set career highs with 38 goals and 75 points. This comes after a season in which Duchene managed a mere 13 points in 34 games. While Duchene is scoring on 19.0% of his shots, he has generated 2.86 shots on goal per game, the second highest rate of his career and his highest since 2013-2014.

#14 Even though the Ottawa Senators are well out of the playoffs, they have been competitive late in the season and part of that is due to the development of second-year center Tim Stutzle, who has drawn criticism for diving from Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. Ultimately, Stutzle is a 20-year-old playmaker who has 23 points (6 G, 17 A) in his past 19 games.

#15 The Calgary Flames have had a tremendous season and that team success has lifted the results of many individual players, including defenseman Noah Hanifin, who has a career high 41 points (8 G, 33 A) while generating a career high 2.29 shots on goal per game. Hanifin’s 12 power play points ranks second among Flames defensemen behind Rasmus Anderson, who has 17.

#16 As the Vancouver Canucks make a desperate push for a playoff spot, they are doing so without injured right winger Brock Boeser and that has created more playing time for rookie winger Vasily Podkolzin, who has six points (3 G, 3 A) while averaging 16:19 of ice time per game in his past four games. Prior to that, Podkolzin had been averaging 12:16 of ice time per game, so he is stepping into a big role at a critical point in the Canucks’ season.

#17 New Jersey Devils left winger Yegor Sharangovich did not score a goal in his first 13 games of the season, but he is enjoying a strong finish to his second NHL season, contributing 26 points (14 G, 12 A) in his past 28 games. He is riding shotgun on left wing with Hischier on the Devils top line, with AHL call-up Fabian Zetterlund on the right side.

#18 A 36-year-old forward on a team with fading, nearly extinct, playoff hopes, Paul Stastny has been a quality contributor for the Winnipeg Jets. He has nine points (3 G, 6 A) in his past nine games, giving him 41 points (20 G, 21 A) in 64 games. Stastny’s 16 even-strength goals is his most in a season since 2013-2014.

#19 Bowen Byram has returned to the Colorado Avalanche lineup following a concussion and the second-year defenseman has three assists in five games since rejoining the Avs. He has only appeared in 23 games, but Byram has averaged 1.52 points per 60 minutes of 5v5 play, which ranks seventh among defensemen (just behind the Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly) that have played at least 200 5v5 minutes this season. Byram’s teammates Cale Makar and Devon Toews rank second and fifth, respectively.

#20 Since the trade deadline, these are the players with the highest rate of individual expected goals (minimum 100 5v5 minutes): Florida’s Mason Marchment, Tampa Bay’s Ross Colton, Boston’s Brad Marchand, Calgary’s Blake Coleman, Dallas’ Alexander Radulov, Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers, Pittsburgh’s Evan Rodrigues, Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Vegas’ Nicolas Roy, and Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NORTH DIVISION PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Edmonton Oilers vs Winnipeg Jets – Long, Deep History between Canadian Teams

Jeff Veillette — Sun, 16 May 2021 19:57:19 +0000

The Stanley Cup playoffs are officially underway! Well, at least they are in the United States. In Canada, we’re still waiting for the closing act to finish – that is, the three makeup games between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames, to secure draft lottery odds, fulfill TV deals, and deliver on the promise of a season without missed games.

With that in mind, Wednesday feels forever away. But once the final buzzer sounds on the North Division’s regular season in Calgary, we’ll almost immediately be jumping into two fantastic series featuring four compelling teams.

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 12: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) tracks the play during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 12, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Toronto (1) vs. Montreal (4)

Maybe the single best byproduct of the divisional alignments, for a long-time fan of the sport, comes from this series. For the first time since 1978/79, the two oldest franchises in the league, hockey’s original rivalry, will turn into a playoff series. Be it league alignment or dissimilar trajectories, the two teams have repeatedly come close but not quite in bringing their magic to the post-season, but a new generation will now get to tell stories of their own.

At the start of the year, these two teams were the ones most frequently brought up as potential division leaders, though Toronto ended up pulling a whole 18 points ahead when all was said and done. The Habs did put up a pretty strong warning shot at the beginning of their season, opening the season 7-1-2 in their first 10 games, though they close it on a five-game losing streak, with just two regulation wins in their final 11 games and just five in their final 23.

None of those win/loss records matter in the post-season though, as a very similar Canadiens team showed in the bubble last year. After a similar run of two regulation wins in 14 games to close their regular season, Montreal stunned the hockey world by zooming past the Pittsburgh Penguins in the play-ins, on the back of three one-goal (excluding empty netters) victories in a best-of-five. This came largely on the back of Carey Price, who turned back the clock with a Game 4 shutout and a 0.947 save percentage on the series.

That’s one of the biggest factors the Canadiens are hoping will work for them – they have a tandem of goaltenders in Price and Jake Allen who have had extremely pedestrian, if not below average regular seasons, but have previously had stretches of greatness. Price did miss time down the stretch with a concussion, but Dominique Ducharme and his team hope he’ll be ready to go. Toronto’s situation in between the pipes is the exact opposite – Jack Campbell has had a dominant second half of the season since taking over for Frederik Andersen but is unproven in the NHL playoffs and doesn’t have a long track record of sustained performance. Rather than betting on a bounce-back, Toronto is betting on a lack of regression.

Up front, both teams play a high-possession game and enjoy putting pucks to the net. The difference in quality is stark, though – Toronto’s game breakers (Rocket Richard winner Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and even short-minute wizard Jason Spezza) are much more adept at not just moving the puck into the net-front but capitalizing on their opportunities. The Canadiens have Tyler Toffoli, arguably the offseason’s best free-agent acquisition, and his 28 goals to rely upon, but find themselves lacking up and down the lineup. Cole Caufield could be an injection of finishing talent for the team should they choose to use him, but early practice lines suggest that he might be a healthy scratch when Montreal’s core of injured players return.

Instead, it looks like the strategy for them will be to attempt to wear Toronto down. The Canadiens were the league’s most physical team this year, leading all clubs in hits, including 14 players who threw the body at least 70 times (Toronto, meanwhile, had two). Montreal out-hit Toronto in 8 of their 10 games against them, tying the 9^th and trailing by one in the 10^th, and they’ll be looking to employ similar results when the games are allowed to be even more physical.

It should be noted, though, that that more physical, defensive playstyle against the Leafs didn’t fare too well. Despite every attempt to suffocate them, the end result was a 7-3 record for Toronto in the season series, with none of Montreal’s wins coming by more than one non-empty net goal. The Leafs controlled the season series in just about every way – better finishing, better goaltending, more time with the puck, more shots in dangerous areas, and better special teams. So, while this stereotypically “playoff style” method of play could work in a small sample, it has yet to show its weight.

My Prediction: Toronto takes this series in five games. The competition in this one seems to rely too much on the underdog pulling the favourite down to its level, and while that’s not impossible, it will be very difficult with core players (Shea Weber, Philip Danault, Brendan Gallagher, and Carey Price, just to name a few) playing on half-injured bodies and young counter-attackers (Caufield, Jesperi Kotkaniemi) currently poised to sit in the press box. Toronto’s got some concerns in a cold powerplay, but comes into the playoffs with a deep, mostly healthy roster that should be able to keep their regular season momentum.

WINNIPEG, MB – April 17: Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) skates in on Winnipeg Jets defenseman Derek Forbort (24) during the regular season game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers on April 17, 2021 at the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg MB. (Photo by Terrence Lee/Icon Sportswire)

Edmonton (2) vs Winnipeg (3)

Once again, we have a regional matchup with a lot of historical implications, though many come in another league and all come with a different organization operating under one of the names. But be it WHA or NHL, Jet-Coyotes or Thrasher-Jets, there has always been something about Edmonton and Winnipeg lining up for some post-season hockey. In fact, it seems to be the only path to success for these teams – while all versions of the Jets organization remain Stanley Cup-less, two of their three Avco Cups came through beating the Oilers. In Edmonton, all five of their Stanley Cups came through beating the original Jets along the way.

One thing that hasn’t changed along the way is their process of getting to this stage in the dance – offence pumped through star talent. For the Jets, it was once the Hot Line, followed by Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Randy Carlyle, and their support core. For the Oilers, it was Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jarri Kurri, and Paul Coffey, among others.

Today, the Jets rely on their quadrant of Mark Scheifele (team leader with 63 points), Kyle Connor (goal leader at 26), Nikolaj Ehlers, and captain Blake Wheeler to give them scoring punch across the lineup. In Edmonton, it’s the two highest scoring players in the league driving the bus – last year’s MVP in Leon Draisaitl, and this year’s eventual MVP in Connor McDavid. McDavid, undeniably the game’s best player today and looking eager to chase the all-time greats at the peaks of Mount Rushmore, blew all of our minds by scoring 105 points in 56 games this season, just five points fewer than Scheifele and Connor combined.

With that in mind, this series is very similar to the one out east. While Winnipeg does have a group of gamebreakers, they will be tested by nagging injuries for Ehlers and Wheeler, and it’s certainly not up to the level of what McDavid and Draisaitl can bring. Shutting those two down will be the modus operandi, and that’s something easier said than done. That’s especially the case for a Winnipeg team that struggles to limit shot quality against itself. McDavid in particular has had no issues slicing and dicing through them, out chancing every Jets opponent he’s faced this year, outscoring all of them, and outmatching all but Andrew Copp in expected goal matchups, and all but Mason Appleton and Adam Lowry in shot attempt matchups.

The lack of a high-end defenceman for Winnipeg makes this challenge even tougher. Neal Pionk and Dylan DeMelo have been fine value pieces for the team, but still struggle to hold off the most game breaking of talents. Josh Morrissey hasn’t quite been the star they’ve been hoping for him to be. After that, things thin out very even faster for the team, with Derek Forbort, Logan Stanley, and Jordie Benn being far from stalwarts.

In fairness, the same can be said for the Oilers, who can play physical and gritty but don’t exactly have a list of Norris candidates either. Tyson Barrie has had a great year offensively but isn’t the most reliable in the defensive zone. Similar can be said for Darnell Nurse, and while Ethan Bear is looking like a very intriguing option on their blue line, Dave Tippett has kept his minutes on the lower end.

Where this series could shift away from expectation is between the pipes. Connor Hellebucyk has put up a season that’s down from last season statistically, but still ranks him among the league’s higher end in save percentage (0.916), goals saved above average (10.8) and shutouts (4). He’s also proven very capable of managing a heavy workload over the past five years, appearing in nearly 80% of Winnipeg’s games (289 of 372), which should help him stay steady as the schedule pace tightens. On the other end, Mike Smith has turned back the clock with an even better season than Hellebucyk (0.923 SV%, 13.7 GSAA, 3 shutouts), but has been less consistent in recent years, has had less experience with a heavy workload both this year and in the past several seasons, and at 39 years old, you wonder at times if this miracle run might come to a head. Mikko Koskinen has had moments of quality but has struggled this season, so if Smith falters, I’m not sure Edmonton has a reliable safety valve.

My Prediction: This will also likely be a five-game series, maybe six, but likely five, and it will go in favour of the Edmonton Oilers. The McDavid factor is just too hard to ignore against a team that isn’t deep defensively – the playoffs are where you can leverage your game breakers and while better depth in the bottom 6/9 of the forward core might help the Jets a little, I don’t know if it will matter if 97 & 29 get to take up the majority of the minutes. Ehlers’ injury, even if he does come back, was a big blow to the team and if he’s any less than 100% they’ll be in real trouble. Hellebucyk is the player who has the most potential to disrupt the scale, but I just don’t know if I see it happening.

Oh, Canada: Lucic Offers Flexibility, Smith Stays Strong, Goal Caufield, Forsberg Sticks Around, Andersen Conditioning Stint, Boeser’s 20/20 Vision, Trouble in the True North?

Jeff Veillette — Fri, 07 May 2021 13:51:35 +0000

Welcome back to Oh, Canada – your favourite weekly column about the NHL’s North Division! Obviously, most of our attention this week was diverted to the utter chaos in New York and Washington, and our Canadian focus is so tightly aimed at Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews’ milestone runs, but there are plenty more stories from around the hockey nation! Let’s walk through a few this afternoon, shall we?

Calgary - Lucic Offers Flexibility

A few weeks back, we talked about Milan Lucic passing the 1000-game mark, and how he seems to have found himself a comfortable spot in Calgary with the Flames, as a leader and as a decently effective hockey player. On Tuesday, we got word that he’s willing to risk that comfort, but for the good of the team.

“As much as I want to stay in Calgary, I didn’t want to handcuff [Brad Treliving] in the expansion draft, so I agreed that I would waive it for the expansion draft if he didn’t want to protect me.” said Lucic to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. “I really enjoy it here in Calgary and I’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of my career here.”

This is an incredibly positive revelation for the Flames, who will be locked into some protections via no-movement clauses. Sean Monahan has a similar provision in his contract, as does Jacob Markstrom, and the team obviously has its share of players that they’d like to keep away from the Seattle Kraken. Lucic’s odds of actually being selected in the draft are low given his two remaining years and his $5.25 million cap hit, but should Seattle surprise, it would bring him closer to his hometown of Vancouver, making this a relatively no-lose situation for Lucic.

Edmonton - Smith Stays Strong

Goaltenders are the most unpredictable, and often most important players in this sport. You never know what you’re going to get from one next week, let alone next year, and their impacts will either make or break a team’s chances at regular or post-season success. But even the most optimistic of dice-rollers could not have expected what the Oilers have gotten out of Mike Smith this year.

In a league where the average save percentage sits just a little lower than last year at 0.908, the 39-year-old is posting a 0.925 result through 30 games. That puts him at over 14 goals saved above league average, and is his best single season result since 2011/12. Making it more incredible, this is the largest share of the season’s games that he’s played since 2014/15.

It’s going to be difficult for the Oilers to place all of their eggs into the basket of the league’s oldest starting netminder – two years senior to Marc-Andre Fleury and trailing only the imminently-retiring Ryan Miller to be the oldest regular goaltender in any capacity. Watching Mikko Koskinen concede goals on his first four shots against on Thursday likely didn’t calm too many nerves either. But regardless of how it ends, it’s a season to be appreciated.

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 28:Cole Caufield (22) of the Montreal Canadiens shoots the puck during the warmup prior to the NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens on April 28, 2021, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Montreal - Goal Caufield

For the third consecutive week, Cole Caufield makes an appearance in the Montreal section of this column, and given the results – can you really blame me? Since we’ve last spoken, the 20-year-old has played in games four through seven of his NHL career, and in that span he’s put up his first, second, and third goals in the show.

Most impressive, though, is the fact that his first two tallies, which came last Saturday against Ottawa and this Monday against Toronto, were both overtime winners. This makes him just the second player in NHL history to open up their career with two sudden death tallies. Oddly enough, Brent Seabrook, of just 103 goals in 1114 career games, was the other.

Unlike Seabrook, who retired before the start of this season, one should expect to see many more in Caufield’s catalog. The small but steady youngster has shown his release to be more than NHL ready, and with his lines maintaining a well-above-positive share of shots over these first seven games, it seems like any kinks in his game can be sorted out as he goes without worrying about holding back the team. Needless to say, we’re probably looking at a Calder Trophy favourite for next year, as his stint in 2020/21 won’t remove him from qualification.

Ottawa - Forsberg Sticks Around

The league’s most experienced quarantiner received the gift of stability this week, as the Ottawa Senators announced the signing of Anton Forsberg to a one-year-contract extension on Wednesday. "Anton's addition has been a steadying one for us this season," said Sens GM Pierre Dorion via a press release. "He possesses a calm and controlled playing style, has good size and ability, is a tireless worker with good habits and is a good teammate. He's worked hard in practice to earn his playing opportunities and this contract extension."

Forsberg initially started this season signed with the Edmonton Oilers but found himself claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes in January, followed by the Winnipeg Jets claiming him on a second waiver placement three days later, before finally landing in Ottawa via a third placement in March. This was all before he got to play a single game – since then, he’s put up a more than respectable 3-3-1 record and 0.917 save percentage.

Could the Senators have picked up a decent middle-aged goaltender for pennies on the dollar by being fourth to the party on the 28-year-old Swede? It’s certainly possible. Another possibility is that he could move again in a few months – his signing offers a goaltender to expose in the expansion draft, and while one might say that dangling Matt Murray out in the open would be the more sensible play, it would also be one that takes a level of sunk-cost mindset that I’m not sure that Ottawa is willing to commit to just yet.

Toronto - Andersen Conditioning Stint

Keeping on the subject of netminders, the Maple Leafs find themselves waiting for their long-time starter to return to the fold. Frederik Andersen made his first steps towards that on Thursday, beginning a conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies with a 31-minute split-effort against the Manitoba Moose. In that stretch, Andersen conceded goals on the fourth and fifth shots of the game, both in tight space, but stopped 10 of 12 overall.

“I felt a little rust in the first, earlier in the game,” said Andersen to reporters after the game. “Trusting myself, I got better as we went on with the game. Knowing my spots, being more calm on my feet, small things like that, just kinda got better as things went on and I think that’s the main goal of playing games here.”

Andersen has been out of the Leafs lineup since March 19^th, as he attempts to recover from a nagging knee injury that had hampered his performance throughout much of the season. After posting a 0.914 save percentage in his first four seasons and 244 games with the Maple Leafs, the 31-year-old currently sits at a 0.897, stopping 7.4 goals below the league average rate in his 23 appearances. Toronto has been in decent shape in recent weeks with Jack Campbell, David Rittich, and Michael Hutchinson taking on extra work, but would no doubt love to hear that their starter is back to form. He’ll play at least one more game with the Marlies, likely a full one, before putting himself to the NHL test once again.

OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 28: Vancouver Canucks Right Wing Brock Boeser (6) during warm-up before National Hockey League action between the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators on April 28, 2021, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Vancouver - Boeser's 20/20 Vision

To say things haven’t been going well for the Vancouver Canucks lately would be an understatement – as mentioned last week, the triumphant return from a team-wide Covid-19 outbreak has turned into a steep nose drive, with the team going on a six-game losing streak before turning in a W against the Oilers on Thursday. One person who has managed to avoid much of this season’s misfortune, though, is Brock Boeser.

In that victorious evening, Boeser became the first player on the Canucks roster to cross both the 20-goal and 40-point marks, in what has been his most productive overall season to date. His 41 points in 48 games would pace out to 70 points over a full 82 game season, well exceeding his career high of 56. Equally important has been his attendance – the oft-injured winger has dressed for every Canucks game this season, which only four others on the team can also claim.

Boeser is a player I think about with a great deal of intrigue – his heavy shot has broken through goaltenders with enough consistency to be put in the league’s upper echelon, but there always seems to be some form of circumstance that keeps him from turning it into one of the league’s most dangerous weapons. This year, he certainly seems to be using it less, averaging about 20% fewer shots per game than he has in the rest of his career. Elias Pettersson not being there to set him up for much of it no doubt hurts the cause – it’ll be interesting to see if he can pick up the volume but keep the touch next season.

Winnipeg - Trouble in the True North?

As this division starts to shake out its playoff seeding, with Toronto all but clinching the first seed, and Edmonton likely taking second, there’s a bit of a smouldering boulder coming out of Manitoba right now. While the Winnipeg Jets did win their most recent game against the Flames on Wednesday, that W was the proverbial firehose putting out a seven-game losing streak.

The team was outscored an obscene 28-10 in that span, reminding Jets fans that relying solely on Connor Hellebuyck is a “live by the sword, die by the sword” scenario. Don’t get me wrong, the entire slump doesn’t land solely on his shoulders, given two quality starts against Toronto and Edmonton and his shutout effort to end it, but should he not stand up, the Jets are a team that are struggling to make things work up front.

In the span of those seven losses, the Jets were out-attempted, out-shot, out-chanced, and outscored at 5v5 – in many cases by significant margins – and largely due to a lack of offence rather than poor defence. A lack of finishing certainly didn’t help, with the team converting on just 5.6% of their shots in those seven games. Even in their win against the Flames, the team found themselves outshot 32-19, and while some of that can be blamed on score effects, the lack of offensive generation shows.

Obviously, Nikolaj Ehlers is out of the lineup, and Blake Wheeler likely still isn’t 100%. But going into the post season relying entirely on goaltending is not the sort of plan you want to run with and could prove costly if the team can’t turn things around. Already, they’ve given up the divisional second seed and might fall all the way down to fourth, if things don’t turn around sooner than later.

DESERT NOMADS

McKeen's Hockey — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 20:15:16 +0000

With ownership headlines finally fading into memory, The clubs final season as the Phoenix Coyotes ended in the regular season. The Arizona Coyotes will be hard pressed to see a return to the playoffs, but if Star goalie Mike Smith returns to his 2011-12 form they may well do that.

The Coyotes most significant change came in the form of buying out problem-child Mike Ribeiro after only one season of a four-year contract. They will attempt to replace Ribeiro’s offence with Sam Gagner, who is provided a new opportunity in the desert to reach his potential. Martin Erat was a late season acquisition and now must fill the void left by Radim Vrbata, their leading scorer in both goals and points over the last three seasons. How they meet that challenge remains a key question going into the season.

The Coyotes ranked 18th overall in goals for and the team was led offensively by defenceman Keith Yandle who had 53 points. Coach Dave Tippett will continue to preach defense first, and a lack of star power will result in another season of low offensive production. The aging Shane Doan continues to provide a well balance stat package from goals to shots, and hits. Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal, and Antoine Vermette provide additional offence and are great fantasy value options in later rounds.

Help is on the way and could arrive as soon as this season in the form of Max Domi who has great offensive ability and fantasy upside as well as Henrik Samuelsson, and Anton Karlsson who provide less offence but are bigger more aggressive players with better Roto-fantasy value.

Arizona’s chances of seeing the playoffs will depend on Smith and the solid defensive core, led by Yandle, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Zbynek Michalek and the continued development of youngsters like Brandon Gormley and Connor Murphy.

We have posted the following player profiles for the 2014-15 season Mikkel Boedker, Shane Doan, Sam Gagner, Martin Hanzal, Martin Erat, Antoine Vermette, Lauri Korpikoski, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Keith Yandle, Mike Smith

Free Agent Frenzy: The Goalie-Go-Round

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

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

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

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

NABOKOV STICKS WITH ISLES

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

Photo Copyright: Tom Turk - Piratical Photography

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

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

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

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

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

EMERY RETURNS TO FLYERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GREISS LANDS IN THE DESERT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SHARKS SECURE ALEX STALOCK

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

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

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

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

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

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

LABARBERA JOINS THE OILERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

HUTTON GRADUATES TO THE NHL

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

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

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

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

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

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

DAN ELLIS RETURNS TO DALLAS

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

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

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

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

KHUDOBIN NOW A HURRICANE

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

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

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

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

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

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

NHL: Fantasy Sprint Tips – 2013

Carl Lemelin — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:31:38 +0000

Finally! An exciting fantasy season is upon us. The one week mini-camps won’t allow for much data to clue us in on possible lines, pairings and specialty units. Nor will it give us any clues as to chemistry levels between new teammates. Coaches will scramble to install new systems without the benefit of exhibition games to test them out.

A short, compacted regular season is sure to produce its share of unpredictable events and stories. However from a fantasy standpoint, there are factors that can help us gage the level of production we can expect from certain players: game-shape (has the player been competing in a pro league during the lock-out?), projected lines and pairings, projected team strengths or weaknesses and coaching styles.

Throughout this specific analysis, it is also important not to lose site of the fact that the elite offensive players should remain the same. Remember the 1995 lock-out year? Eric Lindros and Jaromir Jagr tied for the scoring championship. There is no reason to believe a shortened season will mean any kind of drop-off for the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, Steven Stamkos, Erik Karlsson or Claude Giroux. Although if you draft them in a standard pool, you should weigh them differently than you would for a full 82-game season, simply because the total point differentials between them and second tier players will not be as dramatic.

As everyone scrambles to prepare for this frenetic-paced campaign, today we look at some of the not-so-obvious players (forwards, defensemen and goalies) we identified as “safe bets” or “buyer beware” and offer a brief explanation.

FORWARDS – SAFE BETS

Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin (BOS): Projected mates on the Bruins 1B line, both dominated the Swiss league. Bergeron had 29 pts in 21 games when he left Lugano and led Canada to a landslide championship at the Spengler Cup. Seguin was even more impressive scoring at a near goal-a-game clip (29-25-15-40) for Biel. The two had already started clicking in the second half of last season. They look like a scary pair!

Brad Richards (NYR): The playmaking center finally has a top-flight goal scorer to feed in Rick Nash. Richards had a mediocre season in 2011-12 for his standards (82-25-41-66) and his assist ratio is sure to improve. Now 32, the extra rest (inactive during the lockout) should only benefit the veteran.

Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Dany Heatley (MIN): The Wild’s new All-World line is a match made in heaven. Not all ultra-skilled lines find immediate chemistry, but the speed of Parise, smarts of Koivu and shot and hands of Heatley should create 5-on-5 and PP magic in the Twin Cities. Parise’s and Koivu’s work ethic and enthusiasm are also certain to rub off on a sometimes indifferent Heatley.

EDM’s young guns: Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall have arrived. NHL stardom is theirs to grab. They proved during the lockout that their precocious NHL success was no fluke, tearing up the best of all lockout leagues, the AHL. Moreover, their skill sets are complementary and will be augmented by PP quarterback and early Calder favorite Justin Schultz. Already in mid-season form, they present an explosive potential not seen in Oil-Town since the Gretzky-Kurri-Messier-Coffey combo.

FORWARDS – BUYER BEWARE

Kyle Okposo (NYI): It’s a common mistake fantasy owners make: overrating the third wheel on an explosive top line. John Tavares and Matt Moulson are proven commodities and will produce, even without their former linemate P-A. Parenteau (now with Colorado). But Okposo is a corridor winger and a shooter, a stark contrast to Parenteau’s playmaking skills. Tavares will become the playmaker on the line, but Moulson is likely to pick-up most of the goals, leaving only a few crumbs (in terms of points) for Okposo.

Ryan Callahan (NYR): The biggest fantasy loser with the arrival of Rick Nash, Callahan should be bumped from the first to the third line (going from Brad Richards to Brian Boyle as a centerman). He probably won’t see much time on the PP’s top unit either, since the Rangers will be looking for Derek Stepan to take on more of the offensive load.

DEFENSEMEN – SAFE BETS

Sergei Gonchar (OTT): Yes, the 38 y/o’s numbers have been down the past couple of seasons, but the sharp drop-off from three years back (when he was 62-11-39-50) suggests some kind of upward adjustment in his stats this year. The Sens have allot of skill up front and play an up-tempo offensive style. Add two impressive PP units that should produce and a solid KHL stint (36-3-26-29) and all signs point to a hot start for Erik Karlsson’s mentor.

Ryan Suter (MIN): See Wild’s All-World line above: he will be the only one pushing the puck up to those guys and the quarterback of a now elite PP unit. He’s officially out of Shea Weber’s imposing shadow.

Alex Pietrangelo (STL): Our best bet to have an Erik Karlsson-type breakout year. Same skill set and a young up-and-coming set of offensive forwards to feed the puck to. Coach Ken Hitchkock loves him and will keep riding his young horse to the tune of 25-30 minutes a game.

DEFENSEMEN – BUYER BEWARE

Here, we identify a few D-men that have exhibited offensive potential in the recent past, but find themselves in new circumstances that might hurt their chances of producing a significant amount of points this season. You should avoid over-evaluating these players based solely on their past production or potential.

Nikita Nikitin (CLB): A full season of James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson manning the points on the first PP unit means precious few quality offensive chances for Columbus’ bright light from last year.

Ryan Whitney (EDM): Justin Schultz will eclipse him and take over as the first unit quarterback. The Oilers are likely to use 4 forwards on the squad, bumping Whitney down to a much less threatening second unit.

Tom Gilbert (MIN): It’s a mistake to think Gilbert’s numbers will automatically improve because of his new explosive entourage in Minnesota. He should get top PP minutes, but he is the obvious weaker link of the unit. Make no mistake, most scoring plays will run through Suter and the forwards, and since there are only three points available on every goal, Gilbert will often be one of the two members left off the scoresheet.

GOALIES – SAFE BETS

Henrik Lundqvist (NYR): The defense in front of him is strong individually and also very cohesive under John Tortorella’s tight system. He’s been the most consistent netminder for the past three seasons. You can bank on Hank!

Tuukka Rask (BOS): His time has come. Tim Thomas’ one year hiatus has paved the way for the young Finn to backstop one of the elite teams in the East. No reason to doubt the Claude Julien lead squad will be anything but disciplined and responsible in their zone.

Mike Smith (PHO): Some might think last season was a fluke, but we have always believed this type of breakthrough was inevitable for this big, athletic stud of a goalie. Dave Tippett’s defensive system is a proven playoff-guarantying commodity and his defense is bolstered by the return of shot-blocking and under-rated Zbynek Michalek.

GOALIES – BUYER BEWARE

Carey Price (MTL): He is a young horse and the Habs do have a deep defense corps, but they will be grossly over-matched offensively on most nights. This will put enormous pressure on the wonder-kid and will mean more inconsistent play despite the added grit to the Montreal roster. The Canadiens need an influx of talented forwards to allow for more puck-possession time before Price becomes a prized fantasy asset.

Braden Holtby (WAS): Holtby’s incredible playoff run came under Dale Hunter’s strict defensive scheme. New bench boss Adam Oates has promised a return to the run-and-gun style of the past in the Capital, which bodes well for Alex Ovechkin and company, but might hurt Holtby’s numbers. He also got off to a slow start in the AHL this year, before finding his bearings.

Pekka Rinne (NAS): The loss of Ryan Suter’s steadying influence cannot be understated. Don’t expect a huge drop-off, as Rinne’s fantasy value has been well established over the past three seasons. But Nashville’s defense will feature three brand new pairings and very little experience. Rinne was also uncharacteristically inconsistent during his lockout stint in the KHL (.897 SP).

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