Olli Maatta – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – UTAH MAMMOTH – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:43:53 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 11: Utah Hockey Club Defensemen Mikhail Sergachev (98) as seen during an NHL game between The New York Islanders and The Utah Hockey Club on January 11, 2025 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. (Photo by Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire)

In the franchise’s first season in Utah, after moving the roster (if not the team, officially) from Arizona, Utah finished with 89 points (38-31-13), missing the playoffs, but there were some encouraging signs. The Utah Hockey Club had the underlying numbers of a contender, ranking sixth in Corsi percentage (53.5) and fifth in expected goals percentage (53.9). They ranked 13th with 8.06 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play, and 17th with 7.47 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. Unfortunately, they did not have the goaltending to reach the postseason. Karel Vejmelka appeared in 58 games, and played well, but Connor Ingram struggled before re-entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and Utah didn’t have any great options otherwise, leading to Vejmelka handling a heavier-than-expected workload.

What’s Changed?

Utah got busy in the offseason, naming the team the Mammoth, and taking a big swing in the trade market, sending defenceman Michael Kesselring and right winger Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres for winger J.J. Peterka, who adds an up-and-coming scorer to the Mammoth roster. Utah signed free agent right winger Brandon Tanev as well as Stanley Cup champion defenceman Nate Schmidt. They also inked goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who provides insurance behind Vejmelka if Ingram is unable to return to action. Winger Matias Maccelli was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and veteran centre Nick Bjugstad signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent. The move for Peterka was an indication that the Mammoth are not going to be shy about doing what it takes to make the team better.

What would success look like?

A playoff berth would have to count as success, since the previous iteration of the franchise, the Arizona Coyotes, reached the playoffs just once in their last 12 seasons in the desert. There is a quality core of forward talent that can take this team to the postseason, but the questions will land on defence and in goal, where depth could be an issue. It doesn’t appear as though the Coyotes are ready to be real contenders, but earning a playoff spot in that challenging Central Division would be a successful season and it’s not some ridiculous pipedream to believe that they can get there.

What could go wrong?

Last season could have gone much worse for Utah if Vejmelka had not played so well so, like most teams, the Mammoth can ill afford to have subpar goaltending. They do have a few stars that are probably harder to replace, like defenceman Mikhail Sergachev is hugely important and with the moderate level of blueline talent behind him, an injury to their top defenceman could be devastating. Utah’s improved depth could help them overcome an injury or two up front, but this team is still working on relatively thin margins, so a few bad bounces, unfortunate injuries, or subpar goaltending could be enough to keep them out of the playoffs yet again.

Top Breakout Candidate

Third-year centre Logan Cooley has to be the pick here, even after a relatively high on-ice shooting percentage last season, because he is poised to be the No. 1 centre for Utah, which would mean playing with left winger Clayton Keller, who just put up 90 points (30 G, 60 A) last season, so that kind of opportunity raises the ceiling for Cooley who, in his own right, is a dynamic offensive talent. If there is chemistry with Keller, Cooley may just continue his upward scoring trend.

FORWARDS

Clayton Keller

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	34	56	90	1.13

A talented playmaking winger, Keller put up a career-high 90 points (30 G, 60 A), continuing to provide offense at an elite level. In the past three seasons, he has 252 points (100 G, 152 A) in 241 games, ranking 16th in the league in that time. Keller is on the smaller side and plays according to his strengths. He only had 11 hits last season, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2017-2018, but he thrives in open space, whether it’s in transition or on the power play, where he can set up on the half wall and direct the play from there, either as a setup man or launching one-timers. His 37 power play points last season was tied for third, behind only Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon. Keller uses his quickness to create space from which he generates offensive opportunities, with the element of surprise working in his favour. Keller is a highly skilled player whose puckhandling makes him a challenge for defenders and goaltenders alike when left in a one-on-one situation. With Keller established as a legitimate star player for the newly named Mammoth, now is the time for the team to build a quality supporting cast around him, so that he can continue to deliver on the offensive end. While Keller is not necessarily noted for his defensive acumen, the puck was moving the right way when he was on the ice in 2024-2025; last season he had a 54 percent Corsi with 53.4 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play. If the supporting cast can continue to get better, then Keller should be a prime offensive threat in 2025-2026. It would be fair to expect 30-35 goals and 85-90 points, with a chance to challenge 100 points if he has good fortune in terms of percentages.

Logan Cooley

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	29	47	76	0.93

Drafted third overall in 2022, Cooley took a big step forward in his second NHL season, jumping from 44 points (20 G, 24 A) in 82 games in 2023-2024 to 65 points (25 G, 40 A) in 75 games last season. The name of the game for Cooley is speed, as he uses his acceleration to separate from defenders and create dangerous opportunities off the rush. He plays with an offensively aggressive mindset, so he’s not afraid to go to the net when the opportunity presents itself and seeing what he has accomplished through his first two seasons offers a tantalizing glimpse into his potential. At the same time, there is still room for improvement. While Cooley had a 50.4 percent Corsi in his sophomore season, up by three percent over his rookie campaign, his relative numbers were down 2.2 percent from the previous season. Some of that may be that Utah had more all-around talent so other lines also pushed play, but if he is going to be the star that he appears he can, he should not be trailing others when it comes to controlling play. Cooley remains a work in progress in the faceoff circle, but did improve, going from a winning percentage of 38.0 percent as a rookie to 44.7 percent last season. With an expectation that Cooley spends most of his time skating on a line with Keller, the young center’s production should continue to ascend but projections need to take into account that his on-ice shooting percentage last season was 11.7 percent, a mark that he is highly unlikely to duplicate in 2025-2026. As such, 25 goals and 65-70 points is a fair possibility and while it might not seem like much of an increase, he could use power play production to offset a likely five-on-five regression.

J.J. Peterka

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	30	34	64	0.78

Coming off a season in which he racked up a career-high 68 points (27 G, 41A) for the Buffalo Sabres, Peterka insisted on getting moved and was highly sought after as a 23-year-old winger just coming into his prime. Utah stepped up, sending Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to the Sabres to complete the deal and then signed Peterka to a new five-year, $38.5 million contract. His arrival in Utah gives the Mammoth another legitimate high-end offensive talent and it could be the type of move that lifts them into postseason contention. Coming from Buffalo, Peterka does not have playoff experience, but he has shown well when playing for Germany at the World Championships. He compiled 21 points (11 G, 10 A) in 18 games during the 2023 and 2024 World Championships and was named the top forward at the 2023 event. While Peterka certainly appears to be on the upswing in his career, there should be some caution exercised because his on-ice shooting percentage last season was 14.2 percent, an unsustainably high number that was the highest in the league among forwards that played at least 200 five-on-five minutes. So, while the tendency might be to lean towards optimism for Peterka, it is going to be difficult to overcome that likely statistical regression. That being the case, it’s fair to expect him to challenge 30 goals and 65 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Dylan Guenther

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	32	35	67	0.85

Drafted ninth overall in 2021, Guenther signed an eight-year, $57.14 million contract prior to last season and while it seemed like a major commitment to a player who had played a total of 78 NHL games to that point, Guenther quickly showed that it could be money well spent as he busted out with 27 goals and 60 points last season, showcasing a lightning-quick release that figures to serve him well for many years. There are so many NHL players who can really shoot the puck with authority that for the rare ones to stand out in that crowd there must be something special there and listening to teammates talk about Guenther’s shot, it appears that he is on a rare tier. The next step is to take more advantage of his shot during five-on-five play because Guenther has scored 51 goals in his NHL career and 25 of them have come via the power play. There is the possibility now that Guenther has enough experience to slide up the depth chart so that he could play first line at even strength, which should help him increase his even-strength scoring, because if it means playing with Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley, those are two very skilled linemates. Expect Guenther to continue his career ascent in 2025-2026. It would be entirely fair to expect him to hit 30 goals and 65 points.

Nick Schmaltz

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	20	38	58	0.71

In the past four seasons, Schmaltz has ranked between 58 and last season’s career-high 63 points, producing at a consistent level, though there is an obvious argument that scoring 58 and 59 points in 63 games, as he did in 2022-2023 is better than 63 points in 82 games, as he did last season. Schmaltz is a talented playmaker who has gradually become more comfortable shooting the puck. He’s still not firing indiscriminately towards the opposing net, but 2.27 shots on goal per game last season got him to 20 goals even with a shooting percentage of 10.9 percent, which was well below his career mark, which was 14.2 percent going into last season. With sound offensive instincts and good puck skills, Schmaltz is a strong complementary player to Clayton Keller, though both of them are quite reluctant to get involved in physical play, as Schmaltz accrued just 14 hits last season. As the Mammoth improve their talent, Schmaltz could slide into a second line role, where he would still have plenty of opportunity to generate offense, but may also be split away from Keller. Knowing how consistently Schmaltz has contributed to the offense in recent seasons, it’s fair to expect something similar, maybe in the range of 20 goals and 55-60 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Barrett Hayton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	18	28	46	0.56

It sure seemed like a reach when the Arizona Coyotes drafted Hayton fifth overall in 2018, but they gave him ample opportunity to prove that he could play in a scoring role and what ultimately appears to have happened is that he has shown he can be a capable second-line center. He hit career highs with 20 goals, 26 assists, and 46 points last season while playing a little over 16 minutes per game. That has Hayton fitting into the Utah lineup just behind Logan Cooley on the center depth chart. Hayton has good speed to create opportunities and will go the net to generate chances, but the lack of consistency in his career makes it difficult to expect him playing higher in the lineup if the team has more viable options. At the same time, while his offensive numbers have never really taken off, Hayton has turned into a puck possession monster the past couple of seasons, earning 57.9 percent Corsi and 57.9 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play over the past two seasons. So, on one hand, the point production isn’t quite what is needed from a first-line center, but his two-way play has evolved to the point that he is a strong option as a second-line center and with the Mammoth improving their team depth, that means that Hayton should have quality wingers to play with this season. He should be able to contribute 15-20 goals and 40 points.

Lawson Crouse

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	15	16	31	0.39

After three consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals, Crouse saw his role decrease dramatically as the team moved to Utah last season, with his average ice time per game falling from 16:49 in 2023-2024 to 13:44 per game last season. His production plummeted, too, and he managed a dozen goals and 18 points. The category that Crouse could trade on, in terms of fantasy value, has always been hits. He peaked at 288 hits in 2018-2019 and still registered 193 hits in his diminished role last season. When he was scoring 20 goals and recording 175 hits, there was clear fantasy value to Crouse’s production, but last season’s decline made it far less appealing. With his size and physical presence, Crouse should be valuable in the modern NHL, because he can battle the biggest defenders and handle himself if a fight is needed, but he has also grown as a player to fill a complementary role, capable of finishing chances around the net. His most common linemates last season were Jack McBain, Nick Bjugstad, and Josh Doan. Crouse had quite a bit of success with the since-traded Doan, controlling 62.7 percent of expected goals and outscoring opponents 16-10, but it should be an indication that Crouse is a strong complementary option alongside more skilled playmakers. That should give at least some hope that Crouse can bounce back in 2025-2026, so expect 15-20 goals and 30-plus points, along with 190 hits.

Jack McBain

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	12	17	29	0.35

A 6-foot-4 center who uses his size to be an effective physical presence, McBain has earned the respect of the Mammoth, which was shown by his new five-year, $21.25 million contract, an indication that they view him as more than a fourth-line center. McBain recorded career highs in goals (13) and points (27) to go along with 291 hits and 78 penalty minutes last season. The scoring numbers alone don’t generate fantasy interest, but 291 hits ranked sixth in the entire NHL and that holds value in banger leagues already, but if McBain can expand his offensive repertoire, then he would gain more widespread appeal. While McBain doesn’t have a huge offensive pedigree in the NHL, he did have productive senior season at Boston College in 2021-2022, scoring 33 points (19 G, 14 A) in just 24 games, so maybe there is a path to him producing more if he gets consistent ice time in Utah’s top nine. If McBain gets a little more ice time in 2025-2026, then he can fairly be expected to contribute 10-15 goals and 30 points, and if he puts up 250-plus hits, too, that will give him some fantasy value and if he could pop more offensively, that appeal would climb quickly.

Alex Kerfoot

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	12	20	32	0.40

A versatile veteran forward who has missed one game in the past five seasons, Kerfoot’s role was reduced last season, his ice time dropping more than two minutes per game and his point production dropped from 45 points in 2023-2024 to 28 points (11 G, 17 A) in 2024-2025. In addition to his ice time being cut, Kerfoot suffered from a dramatic swing in his on-ice shooting percentage, going from 10.1 percent two seasons ago to a career-low 6.6 percent last season. Kerfoot has established in Colorado, Toronto, and Arizona before the move to Utah that he is a reliable complementary forward who can play wing and center, moving around the lineup as needed. Last season, he won 52.5 percent of his draws, only the second season in his career in which he was the right side of the faceoff ledger. The main concern when it comes to Kerfoot’s offensive production is his reluctance to shoot the puck, recording 203 shots on goal in 163 games over the past two years. In a supporting role for the Mammoth, Kerfoot should still be counted on to play every game, and he should find his way to double-digit goals and 30-35 points.

DEFENCE

Mikhail Sergachev

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	12	40	52	0.67

Acquired from Tampa Bay following an injury-shortened 2023-2024 season, Sergachev provided Utah with the No. 1 defenceman that they needed. He sniped a career-high 15 goals and his 53 points was the second-highest total of his career. Sergachev averaged a career-high 25:07 of ice time per game and he brings a lot to the Utah defence. He is physically strong and can win puck battles, though he cut down on his hits last season compared to previous campaigns. Sergachev is also an excellent puck-handler who will use his wide base to protect the puck, taking the time necessary to make the best possible play. The smart move for the Mammoth to acquire Sergachev was that he was at a statistical buy-low point, coming off a season with a 95.1 PDO, and his percentages bounced back last season to 100.1 PDO, which is a little below his career mark, but much more in typical range. Sergachev did score on 11.4 percent of his shots on goal, which was more than double his career shooting percentage (5.6 percent) prior to last season, so that is a number likely to see some regression. Keeping in mind that he is playing 25 minutes per game for the Mammoth, Sergachev should still be able to hit double digits in goals and 50-plus points again.

Sean Durzi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	12	17	29	0.37

An early season shoulder injury sabotaged Durzi’s 2025-2026 season, limiting him to just 30 games, and he produced 11 points (4 G, 7 A). With the acquisition of Sergachev, Durzi was not needed to quarterback the top power play unit and that will still be the case this season, but Durzi has established his ability as a right-shot puck-moving defenceman. He has confidence to make plays on the offensive blueline and has a hard and accurate shot. Durzi does not play an especially physical game, but he is quick to get in the path of opposing shooters, recording 475 blocked shots in 242 career games. As the Mammoth improved as a team, Durzi found his way to a career-high 53.6 percent Corsi, which is, at least in part, a product of his ability to move the puck up the ice. While Durzi falls behind Sergachev on the depth chart, on a relatively thin Mammoth blueline, Durzi is still the second-best fantasy option, since he will play more than 20 minutes per game and should at least quarterback the second power play unit. In 2025-2026, look for Durzi to rebound as he challenges double digit goals and 30-35 points while also recording 140 blocked shots.

John Marino

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	3	21	24	0.34

Acquired from the New Jersey Devils last summer, Marino missed half of the season while recovering from back surgery, so he didn’t get into the lineup until January, but the veteran blueliner was effective once he got back into his groove. Marino recorded 14 points (1 G, 13 A) in 35 games and all of those points were at even strength, so, among the 248 defencemen to play at least 200 five-on-five minutes, Marino ranked sixth in assists per 60 minutes (1.25) and 14th in points per 60 minutes (1.34). He is an excellent skater who makes good passes to exit the defensive zone, but last season’s scoring pace was unusual as he has yet to match the 26 points (6 G, 20 A) that he scored as a rookie in 2019-2020. He is also not a particularly strong presence when battling in the corners, so there is some vulnerability in that aspect of his game, but it gets offset by his positive attributes and he finished last season with a 53.6 percent Corsi, with the Mammoth outscoring opponents 30-25 with Marino on the ice. That fits into any lineup and on a Mammoth team that is light on defensive depth, Marino should play a big role in 2025-2026. He has recorded one power play point, total, in the past three seasons, so there is a limit to what Marino will provide offensively, but he should be expected to contribute 20-25 points and around 90 blocked shots which, generally, will not draw much fantasy interest.

Olli Maatta

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	2	15	17	0.22

A veteran blueliner who has been bouncing around quite a bit in recent seasons, Maatta made the most of his opportunity in Utah, earning a three-year, $10.5 million contract. While that might not sound like a huge deal, the Mammoth are Maatta’s fourth team since the 2019-2020 season and he was struggling on Detroit’s third pair before Utah traded a third-round pick to acquire him. Maatta averaged 19:55 of ice time per game in Utah, a mark that he last surpassed in 2015-2016, his third season in the NHL. Thrust into a top four role on a team that didn’t have John Marino and Sean Durzi for significant chunks of the season, Maatta was a positive possession player and the Mammoth outscored opponents 41-39 with him on the ice during five-on-five play. That’s not a game-breaking performance, rather it’s an indication that he could competently fill a spot in Utah’s top four on the blueline and that’s enough. Maatta is a competent puck-moving defenceman, though he rarely sees power play ice time and that means his scoring production will be modest. He’s also not a hitter, as last season’s total of 25 hits was his lowest since 2014-2015, when he had 18 hits in 20 games. With security and what should be a regular role on the Mammoth blueline, expect Maatta to chip in 15-20 points with 110 blocked shots. Like Marino, that’s probably not enough to generate fantasy interest, but the blueline options are limited in Utah.

GOAL

Karel Vejmelka

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
46	23	16	4	3	.906	2.72

The Utah Mammoth seem to be opting for a kitchen sink approach in net at the moment, following a year that saw Connor Ingram fail to live up to the future starter trajectory he seemed to be on when he arrived in Arizona. They'll start the 2025-26 season with Ingram and the surprisingly reliable Karel Vejmelka as their tandem pairing, but Vitek Vanecek sits waiting in the wings in case something goes awry - and Matt Villalta is hanging around in the depth chart too, along with former Providence College standout Jaxson Stauber. All five goaltenders in Utah's immediate depth chart have NHL experience, but none have a storied history as a team's relied-upon starter - which feels very Coyotes of the Mammoth, despite the expansion team's attempt to forge their own identity.

The Mammoth didn't completely flounder last season, but they failed to reach the postseason by a big enough margin that it's clear something will need to change this fall. And while Vejmelka was clearly the team's best chance of success last year, he has a shaky history when asked to shoulder too much of the workload. Ingram will need to bounce back after his tough campaign if Utah hopes to challenge, and they've got far more reliable goaltending tandems waiting across the ice from a handful of the Western Conference's Wild Card contenders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 12:00:30 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 28: Detroit Red Wings Center Dylan Larkin (71) applies pressure on the forecheck during first period National Hockey League action between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators on February 28, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Red Wings missed the playoffs for six consecutive campaigns prior to 2022-23 and the latest season was more of the same. There was a chance that Ville Husso, acquired from St. Louis in the summer of 2022, would help, but he ended up posting a 26-22-7 record, 3.11 GAA and .896 save percentage in 56 starts. What makes that worse is Detroit ranked 10th in five-on-five expected goals against (164.53), so the defense was doing its part. Not that a stellar performance from Husso would have necessarily saved the season, given how thin the Red Wings’ forward core was. Dylan Larkin was by far Detroit’s top scorer with 32 goals and 79 points, but he was the only player to reach the 25-goal mark and, along with David Perron, one of just two with at least 50 points. Detroit finished with a 35-37-10 record, tying its current playoff drought with the longest in franchise history.

What’s Changed? Detroit’s top-six forward core looks a lot stronger after acquiring Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa and signing J.T. Compher. Detroit also inked James Reimer, who is coming off a rough campaign with San Jose, but has traditionally been an above average backup goaltender. The addition of defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jeff Petry further boosts a defense that was underrated in 2022-23.

What would success look like? The Atlantic Division is going to be a tough one, but there is a path here for Detroit to make the playoffs, albeit likely in a Wild Card spot. DeBrincat and Compher should give Larkin the help he sorely missed last year. It won’t be enough to make Detroit’s offense good, but it might at least be enough to make it less of a liability. Husso is still a big X-Factor, but the addition of Reimer might take some of the pressure off him and, when combined with the Red Wings’ great blueliner group, it might be sufficient.

What could go wrong? Detroit’s making a big bet on Compher, but other than his 52-point showing in 2022-23, he’s never even reached 35 points, so he might be a swing and a miss for the Red Wings. Petry is another potentially nice get, but he’ll turn 36 in December and missed 21 games last season, so he might disappoint too. Then there’s the goaltending, which might be what sinks this squad. Detroit is counting on not just Husso bouncing back, but Reimer too. Given how stiff the competition will be for a playoff spot, if any of those potential problems on their own might be enough to deny the Red Wings a postseason berth.

Top Breakout Candidate: The one player we didn’t address who could end up making a huge impact for Detroit is Lucas Raymond. He showed a lot of promise in his rookie campaign, scoring 23 goals and 57 points in 82 contests, but then regressed in 2022-23, settling for 17 goals and 45 points in 74 games. Taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2020, the stage is set for the 21-year-old to step up and take his place alongside Larkin and DeBrincat as one of the Red Wings’ offensive leaders.

Forwards

Dylan Larkin - C

The Red Wings captain solidified his legacy in Detroit when he signed an eight-year, $69.6 million extension in March and the captain will look to bring them out of the darkness and back into the postseason. Larkin led the Red Wings in goals (32) and points (79) and that he did that shouldn’t come as any surprise. He’s their best player and it’s why they had to get him signed to an extension. Yes, things have been grim in Motor City since they last made the playoffs in 2016, but the 27-year-old center has been the consistent reason for hope for the future. It was the third time he’s scored 30-or-more goals in his Red Wings career as well as the third time he scored at nearly a point per game pace (he also did in 2018-19 and 2021-2022). Now that he’s locked up for eight more years and GM Steve Yzerman has been beyond aggressive in trying to get back to the playoffs the past two off-seasons, the pressure is very much on Larkin’s shoulders to help put them over the top to get back there. Larkin was a rookie on the last Red Wings playoff team so he knows what it’s like to be there and he’s surrounded by veterans who have done so with other teams, but a repeat performance of last season would go a long way to helping make that dream a reality.

Alex DeBrincat - LW

The Red Wings’ biggest acquisition outside of the NHL Draft the past few seasons came in the form of two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat. That they swung a trade with division rival Ottawa to land him and by all appearances look to have won that trade is a substantial coup on their part. Last season with the Senators, DeBrincat had 27 goals and 66 points, good for fourth on the team. For as questionable of a statistic plus-minus is, DeBrincat’s minus-31 rating was second lowest on the Senators, but defense isn’t exactly why Detroit brought him on board. He’s a goal scorer through and through having potted 187 goals in six seasons (450 games) with Chicago and Ottawa. That he’s coming off a down season with Ottawa may have kept his trade price down, although the Red Wings signed him to a four-year, $31.5 million extension after the trade. DeBrincat’s addition ideally gives the Red Wings a much-needed offensive injection as they scored the ninth fewest goals in the NHL last season. A return to 40-goal form would give Detroit a much more potent attack, something they’ll need to keep up with the rest of the contenders within the Atlantic Division. Teaming him up with Dylan Larkin should provide the spark needed to do just that.

David Perron - RW

When it comes to players who understand their role and excel at it, David Perron is right up there as one of the best. Perron plays a hard, competitive brand of hockey and does well around the net in tight spaces to generate scoring opportunities. He’s also very good at matching up physically and sticking up for himself and his teammates. Most of all, he’s the picture of consistency. At 34 years old, Perron was second on the Red Wings in goals with 24 and scoring with 56 points. While it may not have been ideal for Detroit to have Perron be No. 2 for them in those categories, the fact that he was and did quite well at his age says a lot about how good he’s been for them. For seven straight seasons, Perron has had 46-or-more points and he’s scored 20-or-more goals in four of them. Perron was brought to Detroit for his veteran wiles and the edge he can provide come playoff time…which hasn’t happened yet, but for now he’s providing their bevy of younger players a daily example of what it takes to have success in the NHL.

Lucas Raymond - RW

Raymond has been an outstanding scorer since he landed in the NHL in 2021-2022 after being the fourth overall pick in 2020. In two seasons he’s put up 40 goals and 102 points in 156 games, but his output last season was down from his rookie campaign. He had 12 fewer points in eight fewer games played last year, which is slightly concerning as his slightly down possession stats at 5-on-5. What’s also concerning is that Raymond’s numbers struggled with Dylan Larkin, but Larkin saw far better success away from Raymond. That was also the case during Raymond’s rookie season, however, those two played almost exclusively together at 5-on-5 then, that wasn’t the case last season. Raymond finished tied for third on the Red Wings in scoring last season with Dominik Kubalik. With Kubalik off to Ottawa in the Alex DeBrincat trade, there’s a good possibility Raymond winds up on a line with Larkin and DeBrincat which should improve all three players’ statistics together. At 21 years old, it’s too early to be fretting about Raymond’s numbers especially given that Detroit continues to add better talent around him. But he will need to improve overall for Detroit to have a shot at making the postseason, particularly since the teams they’ll be battling against all have made moves to also either get into or stay in the playoffs.

J.T. Compher - C

Although the Detroit-Colorado rivalry is long since dormant, it’s still fascinating to see players go from one team to the other and J.T. Compher joining the Red Wings after seven seasons with the Avalanche certainly qualifies. Compher, who played college hockey at the University of Michigan, heads back to his adopted home state after scoring 88 goals and 194 points in 423 career games in Denver. It was Compher’s two-way game that piqued the Red Wings’ interest in him and his versatility to play both center and the wing gives him a utility knife quality for their lineup. Ideally, Compher slides in as the center on the second line behind Dylan Larkin and ahead of Andrew Copp. Throughout his career, Compher has had decent 5-on-5 possession numbers as well as strong expected goal percentages. Having those kinds of advanced numbers made him a valuable player for teams in search of strong depth who can play well defensively and contribute enough on offense. That kind of description fits Compher well although it should be noted he’s coming off a career-year with 51 points. He’s regularly been a 20–30-point scorer before that. At 28 years old, this is who Compher is as his development days are long over, but the Red Wings will hope he hasn’t seen the end of his higher-scoring years just yet particularly after signing him to a five-year, $25.5 million deal.

Andrew Copp - C

Detroit signing J.T. Compher came at a curious time particularly since they’d just signed Andrew Copp a year ago to do essentially the same kind of thing in the same position to virtually the exact same contract (5 years, $28.125 million). Copp’s first year back home in Michigan saw him pick up where he left off the previous year with Winnipeg and the New York Rangers. His nine goals and 42 points were solid, and his 42-point output the second best of his career. Although his goal output dipped slightly, it’s his two-way game that makes him a fixture in the lineup and that suffered a bit last season. Copp’s advanced numbers dropped, including possession and expected goals at 5-on-5. For him and the Red Wings to have success that cannot be the norm and might be a reason why a similar style player in Compher was added to help shoulder the burden a bit in the middle of the lineup. A stronger overall team performance would have an effect there as well, but it’s up to Copp to do his part too. He played most of his 5-on-5 minutes with Lucas Raymond and David Perron which at first blush doesn’t seem like an ideal mix. With the additions of Compher and Alex DeBrincat, coach Derek Lalonde will have interesting choices to make to get a better mix with his forwards.

Michael Rasmussen - RW

Injuries are never kind and they’re almost always cruel and such was the case for Michael Rasmussen last season. A shot to the kneecap sidelined him for the season in late February and it came while he was in the middle of a breakout season of sorts. In 56 games, the 6’6” 210-pound forward put up 10 goals and a career high 29 points. On top of the improved point production, Rasmussen saw improved possession and shot quality and prevention advanced numbers as well. At 23 years old, it was the kind of improvement everyone in Detroit was excited to see occurring. After all, with a player his size improving in those ways makes him more valuable to them overall. Being big is one thing, but being big and able to help produce offense more efficiently is something else entirely. It’s why the Red Wings hope that a full return to health will lead to him picking up where he left off. If he can do that with the host of new players they’ve added this offseason, Detroit’s hope is they’ll have someone capable of getting heavily into the physical mix come playoff time when the goals are a little harder to score and having a player that can screen goalies and push opponents around comes in much handier.

Jonatan Berggren - LW

Berggren’s arrival to the Detroit lineup last season showed why they took him in the second round in the 2018 Draft. He scored 15 goals and had 28 points in 67 games during his rookie season last year. The Swedish winger seized a role in the lineup with his offensive skill and even carved a spot on the power play scoring five times on the man advantage with nine points total. What’s most impressive about Berggren’s output is he was able to do it down in the Red Wings lineup. He wasn’t playing top-six minutes with their better scorers, he played most of his 5-on-5 minutes with forwards like Joe Veleno and Austin Czarnik before he was elevated to join Andrew Copp and David Perron. Now at 23 years old and having shown he can produce at the NHL level, he’ll be counted on to provide consistent scoring in the middle-six forward group from the wing and could find a home alongside free agent addition J.T. Compher. Berggren has versatility, however, and can slide in at center when needed. It’s that kind of flexibility that further makes him valuable in the Red Wings lineup and will help him earn more ice time.

Klim Kostin - LW

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, no one player was able to make their mark and increase their value the way Klim Kostin did with the Edmonton Oilers. Kostin used his size and physical style of play to muck things up along the boards and in the middle of the ice to open the offense for his teammates and himself. Kostin had a breakout regular season with 10 goals and 21 points in the regular season and followed that up with three goals and two assists in 12 playoff games with the Oilers. Kostin is a classic grind line kind of player who uses his checking and size (6’3” 215) to disrupt opponents. In 57 games last season he had 157 hits and that’s the kind of rate that will get you noticed no matter what. After three years with St. Louis, they traded him to Edmonton where the Oilers gave him a chance and he ran with it. It’s that brand of go-getter that attracted Detroit to acquire him in a trade and days later sign him to a two-year contract. It’s another signing that shows how the Red Wings want to be able to line up should they get to the postseason. They want to have skill and goal scoring at the top of the lineup with a mix of size, strength, and grit in their lower lines. Adding an eager player like Kostin to the mix makes a lot of sense to that end, but with the high amount of skill within the division it remains to be seen if being overly physical will provide some kind of edge or cause other problems to pop up.

Defense

Moritz Seider - D

Being the best defenseman on a below-average team can be a bit of a slog, even if you’re 21 years old and brilliant like Moritz Seider. The young German phenom and 2022 Calder Trophy winner didn’t necessarily have a sophomore slump but instead got the chance to deal with the rest of the league after they’ve had a chance to study him… and he was still very good. Seider’s point production fell from 50 points in his rookie season to 42 last year. He was the Red Wings minutes leader and averaged just more than 23 minutes of ice time per game. It’s a massive workload for a player so new to the league, but he’s the best the Red Wings have on the blue line, particularly after they traded Filip Hronek to Vancouver at the trade deadline. Everything Seider does and can do more is superb. It would be easy to get wound up about his advanced stats last season, but most every Detroit player’s advanced numbers suffered in general last season. Ideally you want to see his possession and expected goal numbers improve year to year, but the Red Wings haven’t been very good. His numbers are better than most everyone else’s on the team which indicates how well he can play, but compared to others around the league they don’t stand out. If Detroit improves, it will certainly show in Seider’s numbers across the board. But the key is that Detroit does improve, or else arguments will persist as to how good Seider is or isn’t.

Jake Walman - D

There may have been no bigger surprise in Detroit than the play of Jake Walman on defense. The Red Wings acquired Walman from St. Louis in a trade in March 2022 that involved Nick Leddy and Oskar Sundqvist among others. While Walman wasn’t the player of note then, how he performed for Detroit last season changed that discussion substantially. Walman paired with Moritz Seider and the two became virtually inseparable because of how well they worked together. Their 5-on-5 possession numbers were a level 50 percent, and they had an expected goal percentage above that mark. For a team that bled goals and didn’t score a lot of them, that’s outstanding and Walman excelled. He set career highs in goals (nine) and points (18) all while averaging the most ice time of his career at 19:43 per game. It’d be easy enough to say that playing with Seider likely did a lot to help him out, but Walman did a lot to help settle Seider’s game down as well. An upper-body injury hampered his season and held him to 63 games. It also prevented him from playing in World Championships during the summer. Still, Walman’s play was strong enough to earn a three-year extension from the Red Wings worth $10.2 million. Going from fighting to get into the Blues lineup to being on the top pairing in Detroit is a heck of a turn around and a great find for the Red Wings.

Shayne Gostisbehere - D

Something that was missing from the Detroit blue line in the wake of the Filip Hronek trade was a tried-and-true puck mover. Free agency helped them fix that need with ease when they signed free agent Shayne Gostisbehere. The “Ghost Bear” split last season with Arizona and Carolina and had 13 goals and 41 points. Piling up points has never been an issue for the 30-year-old Floridian. In nine seasons he has 311 points in 538 games including 87 goals. He’s been a steady possession player and he played extremely well for Carolina in an abbreviated stay there after the trade deadline. What he does best is move the puck up the ice and create offense and even with the loaded mix of defensemen in Detroit, Gostisbehere will be able to take that role and run with it in a big way. It should also allow him to see power play time as well and perhaps give Moritz Seider a bit of a break, so he doesn’t always have to be the guy doing the heavy lifting in that aspect. Gostisbehere will also duel with Jeff Petry for power play time on the first or second unit. Although Petry has years on him, Gostisbehere is a quicker skater and capable of getting into and out of trouble a bit faster. Although he won’t do much on the physical side of the game, that’s not what they need him to do the most. They need him to help bring the puck up the ice and set up the forwards for better scoring opportunities.

Jeff Petry - D

Well, this is awkward. Just a year after Petry requested a trade out of Montreal and was moved to Pittsburgh, the Canadiens reacquired him as part of the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins. It was a short stop, however, as he was then moved home (Petry was born in Ann Arbor) to the Detroit Red Wings. Even at his age, Petry is a valuable two-way defenseman who can comfortably serve in a top pairing role. He’s averaged over 22 minutes in each of his last seven campaigns, including last season with Pittsburgh, during which he logged 22:21 of ice time per game (2:20 with the man advantage and 2:22 shorthanded). He knows how to play physically without crossing the line too often, contributing 190 hits and just 24 PIM last season, and he’s perfectly happy to block shots, finishing with over 100 in each of his last two campaigns. The Michigan native isn’t one of the league’s top blueliners offensively, but he’s more than serviceable in that regard, having finished 2022-23 with five goals and 31 points in 61 contests, making it the fifth time in the last six years that the defenseman has enjoyed a points per game pace of over 0.5. The biggest issue is that he’s run into some injury troubles lately, missing 35 contests over the last two seasons and, considering his age, things might only get worse from here. But the Red Wings needed some help offensively on the blue line and going back home might re-invigorate Petry enough to give Detroit a lift.

Goaltender

Ville Husso - G

It really seemed like the Detroit Red Wings had done all the right things with their rebuild – down to their decision to capitalize on a few teams wanting to open up some space in the goaltending department by picking up a pair of young up-and-comers in Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso. Husso, in particular, had just wrapped up a season in which he’d ousted former standout starter Jordan Binnington from his reign as number one for the St. Louis Blues; he appeared to be the perfect piece of the puzzle for the Red Wings as they hoped to take their rebuild and ease it out of the garage for a test run.

Instead, both Husso and Nedeljkovic floundered almost from the start. The pair failed to hit the .900 unadjusted save percentage threshold on the year, with Husso in particular struggling to find his rhythm and own his depth management behind a team that desperately needed to establish some defensive consistency. Now, he’s back to see if he can shake off last year’s struggles – but instead of pairing with another youngster without a ton of NHL experience, Husso will get a veteran voice known for being a locker room superglue in James Reimer. Reimer has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons, so it’s hard to imagine Detroit isn’t looking at him as a stabilizing presence for Husso while the younger Finnish netminder continues to serve as their true number one. After all, his strong skating style and willingness to assert control in the blue paint should be a good recipe for success behind a young roster for Detroit. If things falter again this year, though, the Red Wings might have to consider whether or not Husso was as savvy of a pickup as they’d hoped.

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

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

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

FORWARDS

Dylan Larkin

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

Tyler Bertuzzi

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

Lucas Raymond

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

Jakub Vrana

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

Pius Suter

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

Andrew Copp

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

David Perron

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

Dominik Kubalik

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

Oskar Sundqvist

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

DEFENSE

Moritz Seider

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

Filip Hronek

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

Ben Chiarot

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

Olli Maatta

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

GOALTENDING

Alex Nedeljkovic

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

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

Projected starts: 35-40

Ville Husso

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

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

Projected starts: 45-50

Dis-Pens-Ed – Pittsburgh Penguins 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 17:43:00 +0000

REVIEW-STATE OF PLAY - After two straight Stanley Cup championships, the Penguins followed up with their third straight 100-point season but bowed out in the second round. They remain a perennial threat with two of the best centerman in hockey in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who finished fourth and tenth in scoring. They were joined by Phil Kessel tying for seventh giving the Penguins three top ten scorers. The Penguins topped 100 points with a torrid final half of the season for the third straight season under Mike Sullivan. They were 28-11-3, fourth in the league and the best offense with 161 goals in the final 41 games. Helped by a franchise record setting power play, converting on 27.6% of opportunities, second only to Toronto, eclipsing mark from 1995-96, on a team featuring Lemieux and Jagr.

DEFENSIVE EXPOSURE - The playoffs exposed some concerns on defense and Matt Murray returned to earth last season, his first as the undisputed starter, in a difficult season punctuated by personal tragedy (the death of his father) and injury (concussion). His spot was covered by two rookie goaltenders in his absence in 23-year-old Tristan Jarry, (23-14-16, 2.77 GAA, 0.908 SV%) who could probably use more time in the AHL. 26-year-old Casey DeSmith may be more likely to enter the season as backup appearing solid in 14 games (14-11-6-4, 2.40 GAA, 0.921 SV%) and two seasons in the AHL. A battle to watch in training camp.

Their defense was exposed against both Philadelphia and in their loss to eventual cup winners Washington. The allowed more than four goals in six of the 12 contests, losing five of those games. Their only off-season move of any significance was to sign Jack Johnson to a five-year contract at $3.25 million AAV. 31-year-old Johnson is looking to revive his career which stalled in Columbus, seeing time as a healthy scratch down the stretch last season. They also moved out salary cap in shipping out Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick in a trade but still have precious little room for more moves. Do not count out crafty GM Rutherford from doing something more, since his only other significant signing was veteran and Penguin alumni Matt Cullen for a depth role.

Sidney Crosby

BIG GUNS SPREAD OUT - Upfront they keep their big guns on separate lines with net front beast Patric Hornqvist and speedy Carl Hagelin lining up with Malkin. Crosby and Jake Guentzel work largely as a tandem, with Bryan Rust or departed Sheary last season, but look for 21-year-old Daniel Sprong to get a good look on the wing there.

Phil Kessel was tried with Malkin often early in the season but was lined up most frequently with Derick Brassard, acquired at the trade deadline, and an assortment of wingers by the end of the year. Brassard struggled with injury according to GM Rutherford and will be interesting what a full season can bring for the tandem. His ice time dropped by over three minutes a game going from Ottawa to Pittsburgh and will not see a lot of power play time. Kessel has been mentioned in trade rumours again this summer and would bring a nice package and perhaps the answer they are looking for on the back end.

Not a lot of change upfront, but they remain one of the most impressive forward groups in the NHL. While the lines are defined coach will put the superstars out together in key situations. They benefitted from a healthy season from Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, both of whom had more than their share of health issues over the years.

Crosby is still in the argument as the best player in the game. His monster playoff last year (12-9-12-21) spoke volumes about what he is still capable of. While he is your captain your goal is always the cup.

The defense is the area of concern, assuming Matt Murray returns to form after an off season, but is fairly set heading into the season. They have five defenders signed up for the next three seasons, and four for the next four seasons. Letang, Jamie Oleksiak, Brian Dumoulin, Olli Maatta, and Johnson with Justin Schultz signed for two more. The Penguins have always been one of the best teams in the league for developing prospect who play as regulars on the NHL club, which is remarkable given how few high draft picks, or indeed draft picks, they have had over the years. The establishment of Dumoulin and Maatta as NHL regulars and reliable contributors was an important development for the organization and allowing them to stay competitive. Maatta was finally healthy last season after a few health scares in his career.

The defense is led by the inimitable Kris Letang, both an offensive force, and solid defender. When healthy one of the most dynamic defenseman in the league. An intuitive connection to Crosby and Malkin and always deadly when the three of them are on the ice. He has bravely fought serious injury and come back time and again.

OUTLOOK - Fourth in goals per game, 20^th in goals against, 23^rd in save percentage are all indicators of a team that is reliant on elite level offense to convert a loss to victory. The offense will remain, but can the young defense take another step forward and provide solid play? Will Rutherford make moves, if not in the pre-season then at the deadline? A good season from Matt Murray and they will be a threat for the championship regardless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forwards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defencemen

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goaltenders

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

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

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

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

Scouting Knights: Elie, Liberati, Patterson

David Burstyn — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:18:44 +0000

The London Knights could make history at the 2013 NHL Draft - if Nikita Zadorov, Max Domi, and Bo Horvat are among the top 30 selections.

With the trio rated in the first round of the McKeen's midterm rankings, it would mark a franchise first for the Knights to produce three first-rounders in the same draft year.

The club has pulled off the double four times, most recently in 2009 with John Tavares and Nazem Kadri.

It's not the only developing storyline here however, as the 'main three' could be joined on the draft floor by at least three other Knights in Remi Elie, Miles Liberati, and Jake Patterson.

---------------

Remi Elie (LW, 2013), London

The former first-overall pick for the CCHL in 2011, strung together a fine season for Hawkesbury (59-21-25-46) before joining the Knights full-time this season .. given a remarkably deep London team, he has not been allotted the ice time needed to develop .. began as a steady fourth-line contributor but slowly worked his way up due to an infectious work ethic and crash-and-bang style .. small in stature but built like a fire hydrant and never shy about initiating contact .. battles, competes, generates chances out of sheer will and determination .. a dogged forechecker .. attacks the boards and can generate a cycle .. gets puck in deep, keeps things simple, finishes checks .. a slightly better-than-average skater once he gets going - has a deep knee bend but also an awkward start-up that doesn’t generate much speed off the mark .. his hand skills and overall stickhandling ability are simply not there however - even if he does play an energetic game and is hard on the puckcarrier .. tends to fight the puck and is better when he dishes off quickly and goes to the front of the goal .. confidence is still a work in progress as he plays at times in fear of making a mistake .. plays a character game in that he will defend teammates and that he buys in and doesn’t try to do too much .. strong on skates despite not being overly quick .. bit of a puck-chaser offensively - struggles to create and is only effective when driving the net with the puck or cycling down low to maintain possession time so the top line can get rest .. shown marginal improvement through the year, but can improve his stock considerably with a solid playoff as those types of tight games seem to suit his playing style .. nevertheless, still very raw at this point as he lacks elite hands and appears to be a simple up-down, puck-dumping winger.

Miles Liberati (D, 2013), London

Played Prep School Hockey for Hill Academy last season emerging as one of their best players .. made the Knights out of training camp but struggled to find a consistent shift until the start of November .. took advantage of the departures of three key defenseman - Olli Maatta, Scott Harrington, Nikita Zadorov - to their respective World Junior squads, and has stepped up his game when asked to play additional minutes in their absence .. the result has not been overly favourable as he labours at this point to handle such a prime workload .. a decent puckmover - can make plays and does a good job of hitting his man with a first pass .. his skating is a concern including a slushy first step .. struggles against the better teams and an applied forecheck .. average to below-average in his own zone, as he is more of a stickchecker who tries to keep his gaps tight .. can get physically pushed around and doesn’t have a mean streak to his game .. panics under pressure and routinely makes mistakes as he will default to his weaker backhand side to make a play once flushed out of his pocket .. doesn’t gauge his time and space overly well .. displayed flashes of skill and potential, however his point totals have not been forthcoming - and it will be his offensive abilities that will draw NHL draft attention .. appears to be on the outside looking in - at this point.

Jake Patterson (G, 2013), London

Stepped in and played very well in a back-up role posting an impressive 12-1-1 record and beating several high-end teams in support of London's franchise-record 24-game winning streak .. a hybrid goalie who adopts more of a stand-up style .. demonstrates good positioning and overall awareness .. fairly fluid in his movements with solid fundamentals .. lacks overall quickness however, both in his ability to recover and in lateral movement .. boasts an okay glovehand and does a fairly decent job managing rebounds .. good size and net coverage, albeit his lack of quickness will hinder him at the pro level .. looks like a good junior goalie.

London Knights Drafted Player Notes

Gus Katsaros — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:33:41 +0000

The London Knights took their 14-game win streak into December 2, (2012) contest versusMississaugaon the tail end of their third game in three nights. The night before, London dressed in a 3-1 win at home, a 7 pm start.

Sunday’s contest marked the third time in (2012)-13 they have dressed for a 7 pm start the previous night and followed up with an afternoon start less than 24 hours between games.

The Knights were on the tail end of their 5th 3-in-3 set, featuring three cases of the late night/afternoon start combination (for the complete breakdown of CHL 3-in-3 sets, the post is here with a link to a GOOGLE Doc containing all teams.

The Knights have two more 3-in-3 sets left in their schedule, once in mid-December (featuring another 7:30 pm Friday start and 2pm Saturday start combination) and another in mid-January before the schedule eases in this regard.

Mississauga had not played the previous evening. It somehow showed. After the Knights went ahead in the third period, tired legs set in, allowing the Steelheads to tie up the contest late in the third period. The game headed for a monster shootout round that featured both bench entirely taking at least one shot in the shootout before Seth Griffith’s second shootout goal extended their streak to 15 games.

These are notes on drafted players on the Knights.

Ryan Rupert C (2012) - Toronto 6th 157 overall

The Maple Leafs late round selection rang in the new season with a strong opening, recording five assists in the first two games, and then seven in six games, but yet to score his first of the season as of Sunday’s game .. his stick prep isn’t mature and he has to make more concerted efforts to keep his blade on the ice .. ineffective and almost uninterested early on in the game, skating out on the perimeter when he was skating – showed lead feet and unwillingness to keep them in motion .. reacted to plays and not heavily involved .. acted more as a finisher than set up man, and was almost just as uninterested in the offensive zone unless he had the puck .. not moving his feet looking sluggish as the game was nearing it’s end .. played with the puck very little on his stick and even got rid of it instead of carrying it on occassion .. more energetic bursts towards the end of the second period before he helped set up brother, Matt, for a 3rd period goal .. could have had a better showing, but sluggish was the only constant through this game.

Chris Tierney C - (2012) San Jose 2nd 55 overall

Sharks second rounder was patient with the puck while maintaining urgency and the pace required at this level .. good puck protection skills along the boards, strong core strength as he plants and twists his torso to move pucks away from oncoming defenders .. a first penalty-killing pairing forward .. features a good active stick, instinctively getting his stick and body into passing lanes and taking away immediate space .. effective as a high PK forward .. wide skating base, horse shoe stride .. speed is adequate when considering the short length of his stride .. showed how he processes the game and his skill level without his stick, banking a beautiful pass off his foot while tied up by a defenseman with his stick tangled .. performed a really high end skilled move with quick thinking to get the puck to an open man advancing the play .. went straight to the net to pick up a rebound from anAndersonshot to score the 3-1 goal .. one of the better forwards this game.

Josh Anderson RW - (2012) Columbus 4th 95 overall

PK pairing with Tierney .. strong forechecking presence .. defensively responsible .. capable straight line, but not an entirely efficient skater off the block .. lacks initial startup burst while pivots and crossovers lack fluidity .. makes good use of speed but loses speed in turns .. engages opponents aggressively and closes up space quick, an effect of hurrying the play, or forcing defenders to make a play earlier than they wanted .. created some offense while paired with Tierney, but was more of a defensive presence utilizing big body and aggression .. mixes it up physically at will and leaves the impression of at least one hit per shift, a good visible quality that will serve well in the professional leagues where finishing checks becomes more important .. will be more imposing with some weight gain and has a good make up for an energy player.

Seth Griffith RW - (2012) Boston 5th 131 overall

Bruins 5th rounder started the season off strong and continued into November while recording six assists in the weekend’s 3-in-3 set including a four-assist night in Game 1 versus Barrie .. can be somewhat passive defensively and doesn’t fully engage in the defensive zone .. very quick hands with complimentary feet .. elusive with the puck and subtle in his creativity .. will use look offs and shoulder fakes to disguise his intentions .. used his quickness in this game to maneuver around opponents, including a good change-of-pace, but hasn't displayed much imagination .. more a product of being heavily involved getting to pucks and positioning .. didn’t show the dynamic offensive touch after early game displays and seemed to be more of a support figure than initiating .. made up for any less than stellar efforts by scoring twice in the shootout.

Olli Maatta D (2012) Pittsburgh 1st 22 overall

Pittsburgh1st rounder ate up ample ice time on the blueline all game playing in every situation, even-strength and special teams - a testament to conditioning, and even morse so considering this was the third game in three nights with a game less than 24 hours previous to this one .. paid attention to warm up where he practiced individual puck/skating drills showing off tight turns with the puck on his stick, without losing momentum in a small, tight turning radius .. skating is a work in progress - lacks natural quickness and sluggish feet haven’t improved .. makes up for any initial burst limitations with a stark demeanor and a presence, complimented by a spanning reach from a big wingspan .. carried the puck out while also displaying a great outlet pass ability – routinely sent out long stretch passes .. concern sparked at watching him hunched over while skating and in any readiness stance, something I feel is indicative of potential future back problems.

Alex Broadhurst C - (2011) Chicago 7 199

Former Clark Cup champion Green Bay Gamblers scorer - with an impressive 73 points in ’11-12 (53-26-47-73) lined up alongsideLondon’s leading scorer Seth Griffith and draft-eligible Max Domi .. complimentary playmaking vision and soft hands .. felt he straggled at times as the late man but otherwise operated in a stealth mode in the offensive zone setting up on the weak side and in soft areas of the ice looking for passes .. set up at times by Domi with cross-ice feeds .. lacks some physical elements and didn’t initiate contact – a mode of preservation .. one play in the second period stood out - in light of him asking for more defensive responsibilities, including penalty killing duty to progress his overall game - while making a strong and determined effort to back check and catch up to his man late in the second period, he interfered using his stick to tie up and interfere instead of marking his man and staying with him .. caught for a penalty on the play .. quick release and good shot.

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OHL: NHL Drafted Prospects Reports

Saeed Atcha — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:52:39 +0000

Along with watching minor midgets, McKeen’s correspondent Saeed Atcha has been taking in some drafted players throughout the OHL. Chiming in on drafted players from various NHL clubs, he takes a drafted prospects tour across the Ontario Hockey League.

To follow Saeed on Twitter.

Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets), C, Barrie Colts

6’3, 187 lbs,

DOB: March 15, 1993

Mark Scheifele continues to be one of the OHL’s most dynamic and effective forwards. The engine behind Barrie’s offence, but a sold two-way player at the same time, Scheifele is off to a hot start this season. Engaged in all aspects of play, the crafty centre clearly makes those around him better. Scheifele has honed his skills to the point of exacting precision with every touch of the puck. Scheifele sees plays before they unfold and combines speed with execution. Despite being ready to play at the next level, Scheifele brings a high compete level and consistency to every shift, using his vision and playmaking to leadBarrie’s offence.

Dylan Blujus (Tampa Bay Lightning), D, Brampton Battalion

6’3, 198 lbs,

DOB: January 22, 1994

In his second full season with the Battalion, Blujus is starting to play a greater role with his junior club. With many of his earlier skating woes behind him, mobility and range is no longer a critical issue. Aware of his deficiency in foot speed, Blujus compensates by anticipating plays and gaining puck possession. The conservative Battalion style is well suited for Blujus who will safely clear the puck from the defensive zone rather than rush the puck. Blujus is still lacking a physical dimension to his game giving preference to stick checks over a punishing style. His greatest contribution to the Battalion is likely his shot from the point which, more times than not, ends up on net

Boone Jenner (Columbus Blue Jackets), F, Oshawa Generals

6’2, 204 lbs,

DOB: June 15, 1993

Not only is Boone Jenner a work-horse for the Oshawa Generals, he is also their offensive engine. His skating, once an area that required work, now makes him a threat on the ice as he creates scoring chances by pairing his mobility with his puck distribution skills in the offensive zone. Jenner has shown the ability to dominate the boards in the offensive zone, using his size and strength to protect the puck givingOshawaa very dangerous puck cycling operation. Jenner’s speed provides the Generals with successful offensive zone entries, often times drawing in a defender in the process. Strong stick handling skills allows Jenner to create time and space in order to architect the Generals puck possession game.

Tyler Biggs (Toronto Maple Leafs), F, Oshawa Generals

6’3, 224 lbs,

DOB: April 30, 1993

Tyler Biggs has added the dimension of size to the Generals top line this year. Whether cycling the puck from down low or providing net front presence, Biggs is a difficult to player to separate from the puck. On the other hand, Biggs will deliver punishing hits while forechecking, jarring the puck loose to create scoring chances. A speedy north-south skater who will gain zone entries for the Generals, Biggs needs to be more efficient with his shot selection as he tends to shoot the puck as soon as possible from low percentage areas. On the powerplay, Biggs is most useful battling for loose pucks at the goal line, using his strength and body positioning to pounce on the rebound or at the very least to provide a formidable screen for the opposing goaltender.

Matt Puempel (Ottawa Senators), F, Kitchener Rangers

6’0, 190 lbs, DOB: January 24, 1993

An opportunistic forward, Matt Puempel constantly provides the Rangers with a strong finishing touch. While Puempel thrives in the offensive zone, he tends to blend into the background in the neutral zone, and even more so in his own. Stealthy in his approach, Puempel excels at finding open ice. Puempel is a pure sniper armed with a quick release and an accurate shot.

Ryan Murphy (Carolina Hurricanes), D, Kitchener Rangers

5’11, 176 lbs, DOB: March 31, 1993

The Kitchener Rangers’ speed of attack can be at least partly attributed to the skating ability of Ryan Murphy. Murphy combines fluid multi-directional skating and vision to rush the puck rapidly from the defensive zone to the attacking zone. The Rangers are able to maximize offensive pressure on their power plays due to the quickness with which Murphy can re-enter the attacking zone after a clearing. Sometimes guilty of trying to do too much on his own - a function of teammates unable to keep up with his tempo – Murphy often skates into trouble, leading to turnovers. Decision making when passing is a work in progress as is his ability to cover a larger forward with the puck in one-on-one situations.

Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh Penguins), D, London Knights

6’2, 198 lbs, DOB: August 22, 1994

Olli Maatta is a mobile defender whose range allows the London Knights defensive zone recoveries and more offensive intrusions. Maatta threatens with an ever-present shot from the point increasing the array of scoring chances available to the Knights. His puck distribution from the offensive blueline is an asset as is good decision making between shooting and passing. Not one to panic at the point, Maatta will seek best option and executes it with efficiency. Maatta augments the Knights’ defense by having the ability to stand up even the most talented OHL forwards by managing gap control and strong one-on-one coverage. Providing a composed game from the back end, Maatta provides reliability and makes smart plays under pressure to clear the zone while being aware of his options. His durability has been proven on numerous occasions by the large amounts of logged ice-time, adding to his value.

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