Down the Frozen River

Tag: Colby’s Corner

  • Colby’s Corner: The effect of Vegas’ early success

    One of the biggest surprises this season is how good the Vegas Golden Knights have proven to be in the beginning of their franchise. During the offseason, pundits had them penciled in as the favorite for the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (paging Rasmus Dahlin: don’t rent your flat on the strip just yet). Well, boy were they wrong; this team has been the total opposite of bad. They have been winning games from opening night and don’t seem like they are going to slow down.

    They have found ways to win with just about anybody between the pipes. The mastermind that is General Manager George McPhee has built this team to near perfection. He used the expansion draft to acquire a lot of very good defenseman and draft picks, but where he shined most is getting the right group of forwards. He took young players like William Karlsson and Alex Tuch who were just looking for a shot and he gave them that opportunity, and they haven’t let him down yet.

    All the success is great and all right now, but the impact this may have for the franchise going past this year is yet to be seen.

    First of all, if the Golden Knights make the playoffs as seems likely right now, they are going to be looking at the later picks in each round of the draft. This franchise just started out and even though it had a lot of picks in last year’s draft, it doesn’t have a very big or strong prospect pool. They can still find good talent in the later rounds – just ask the Chicago Blackhawks, who seems to always hit with their draft picks in the later rounds – but it is much more difficult for a new franchise with new scouts that is still establishing its identity.

    Obviously the success is great for growing the game in Vegas. Fans like watching good hockey, especially Stanley Cup Playoff hockey. Their fan base is growing daily and it will continue to expand with success. But what will happen if the team isn’t successful next season? Is this early success creating unreal expectations for the franchise in years to come? Having a winning culture is great but it may be hard to maintain for a brand new franchise.

    On the flip side of that though, with the success and location, free agency may be a fun time for the Vegas Golden Knights. Big name free agents might like Vegas for the gambling and entertainment it provides, and now they have the bonus of playing for a potentially successful team.

    They could land just about anyone with no cap issues, as the Knights have over $40 million in cap space next season and no one under contract beyond the 2021-’22 campaign. I have seen pictures of away players playing poker in the casinos and taking in the sights. They are enjoying their time in Las Vegas and if the Knights are a playoff team, life couldn’t be better for hockey players in Vegas. Few cities can boast the amenities Sin City has to offer (entertainment, weather and no income tax, just to name a few), which could make it a very attractive place to call home.

    All of these things will be wait-and-see situations for the time being. Right now, the Vegas Golden Knights are a very good team in the league and are looking towards the playoffs. Can they maintain the success? Will they win a Stanley Cup before the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals? We’ll have to see how the future will look for them going forward.

  • Colby’s Corner Top five Players Poised to Breakout

    A new season starts today, so it’s time for me to jump in and tell you five players to keep an eye out for as they could have breakout seasons. I didn’t limit myself to just rookies; I was also looking for players who could fill some big shoes or become a standout on their team.

    First up,

    1. Oliver Bjorkstrand

    This one may surprise a few, but after a strong preseason performance, Bjorkstrand could really step up this season and have a big role with the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a highly rated prospect, I believe Jacket fans have been waiting for him to show up in a big way.

    Bjorkstrand only has 38 games played over the past two seasons, recording 10 goals and 11 assists in that time. I remember watching him play in World Juniors a few years ago and he had the ability to take over a game and control his team’s offensive flow. If he can provide that for the Jackets, this would give them another weapon with a nice scoring touch. Bjorkstrand could be a name that you hear more of this season.

    Player’s goal: I think a successful season for him could be 10-15 goals with another 10-20 assists.

    Next up,

    1. Matthew Tkachuk

    I have been a huge fan of Tkachuk for a long time – if you have listened to podcasts you know this. Tkachuk had a solid rookie season, recording 13 goals and 35 assists. If that’s what you get from a 6th Overall pick in his first year, you are not going to complain if you are the Calgary Flames. Tkachuk’s physical game and willingness to get into dirty areas allowed him to find some extra points this past season.

    Last season in four playoff games, Tkachuk was held pointless and I think that left a bitter taste in his mouth. If he used that as a motivator in his offseason, than he should come back as an even better player. Not to mention the Flames signed the ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr to a one-year deal. Jagr can show Tkachuk how to use his big body to his advantage and give him other tips to have a great season.

    Player’s goal: I think a successful season for him could be 20-25 goals with another 30-40 assists.

    Next up,

    1. Alexander DeBrincat

    Rookie Alert: Alex DeBrincat makes my list as a player that could be the next Artemi Panarin in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. DeBrincat has been one of the best junior players over the past few seasons trying to crack the Hawks roster, and has finally done that this season. Yes, he is a rookie – and a small one at that – but he has proven he knows were the net is. DeBrincat has scored over 100 points in three-straight OHL seasons, including his final year with the Erie Otters when he finished with 65 goals and 62 assists for a 127 points.

    The argument that it won’t convert over is nonsense as junior players like Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk are finding goals in this league. Another reason he is so high on my list is the opportunity he could have to play with some of the best players in the league in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. If he can learn from either of them, this kid could become a star in no time.

    Player’s goal: I think a successful season for him could be 20-25 goals with another 35-45 assists.

    Next up,

    1. Jake Guentzel

    Now you can say Jake Guentzel is already a star from his Stanley Cup-winning performance last season. I agree, but I think he can play even better than he was in the playoffs. Guentzel had 13 goals and 8 assists in 25 playoff games last spring. It was a performance so strong that he deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy – only have it ripped from him by Sidney Crosby. We haven’t seen Guentzel in playoff form for a whole season, but this is that season.

    Thinking about Guentzel, Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin all performing in top form has me believing this team could be looking at a three-peat without question, as they are probably the favorite in the East again. Guentzel’s scoring touch and being on the same page and line as Crosby could see his numbers sky rocket and he could be an even bigger star in Pittsburgh.

    Player’s goal: I think a successful season for him could be 30-35 goals with another 40-50 assists.

    Finally,

    1. Jack Eichel

    Jack Eichel will look to keep pace with fellow 2015 first-rounder Connor McDavid‘s scoring this year after missing the start of last season with a high ankle sprain. In addition to ruining Jack’s chance to shine for all 82 games, his injury was also a major contributor to the Buffalo Sabres’ slow start that potentially cost them their first postseason appearance since 2011. And the fact that Eichel had to watch his buddies Auston Matthews and McDavid in the playoffs last season was surely his motivator this offseason. Just watching a few preseason games, Jack looks faster and smoother this than he did last year.

    Eichel was very open about how he missed out on  a $1 million bonus for his points-per-game percentage last season. Jack had 57 points in 61 games played, but he hovered around one point-per-game for most of the season before finishing the season in a slump to fall short of his goal. After signing an 8-year, $10 million AAV Tuesday and with the potential to assume captaincy of this Sabres team and lead them to the playoffs, I bet Eichel will earn every cent of his bonus this season.

    Player’s goal: I think a successful season for him could be 30-35 goals with another 40-50 assists.

  • Colby’s Corner Trouba Trouble

    Jacob Trouba is a confusing guy who caused the Winnipeg Jets a lot of trouble for nothing. He pulled a Jonathan Drouin and it was very much uncalled for. If I was one of his teammates, I wouldn’t welcome him back with open arms.

    For those of you who weren’t aware of the Jacob Trouba story, this is Unknown-4what you missed: Before this season started, Trouba, a restricted free agent, requested a trade because he wanted to play right side defense. He felt it was his best position and for him to get better as a player he needed to play the right side.

    Trouba, being 22 years old and supposedly the future of the Jets defense, shocked many people that he would want out. A lot of people still felt it was cap related; he was supposed to get a contract comparable to Rasmus Ristolainen, Seth Jones, and Morgan Rielly, 5 to 6 years with $5 million to $6 million average annual value (per year). The Jets were tight on cap space and it was unclear if they could afford to pay him that much.

    A lot of interest from the league started up with teams like the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings showing a lot of interest in the young man. People waited months for a trade to happen and to see Trouba moved out of Winniepeg.

    Then November 7th comes around and boom! Trouba signs a 2-year, 3 million dollar AAV deal with the Jets and rescinds his trade request.

    THREE MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, are you kidding me? He will get some time on right side defense, but it won’t last with Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien both needing to play right side too. I say he pulled a Jonny Drouin, he requested a trade to show his team his value and yet he never wanted to be traded. This has to be the most ridiculous outcome to a player hold-out ever.

    Let’s see what he got from it:

    Play right handed defense= temporarily, due to injuries

    His comparable value= at least two million under it and three years short

    Loyal fan base= a lot of people pissed off

    Play full season= nope, already missed 15 games

    By my calculations, he got nothing right here. I would turn to my agent and ask what the hell happened? Now there is still some hope. Many people believe he is easier to trade now. Hockey remembers when Kyle Turris wanted out of Phoenix; he had to sign a deal and then months later he was traded. So there is still some hope for Trouba, but for right now I am left scratching my head and asking: What are you doing, Trouba? 

  • Colby’s Corner Situation on the Island

    The New York Islanders have found themselves another player situation, this time with goalies. And yes, of course, goalies, considering how this season has gone. This situation is very interesting however as the Islanders have three goalies on their New York Islanders Logoactive roster. They are Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube. Two of the goalies (Halak and Berube) are represented by sports agent Allan Walsh.

    Allan Walsh took to Twitter calling out the Islanders for using a three-goalie system. It was unclear which player was unhappy with the system. Walsh said players aren’t getting enough practice time to stay sharp and they are starting a goalie most times with only one solid day of practice.

    Garth Snow, GM of the Islanders, made it clear to everyone that Halak is available to other teams, essentially saying ‘if you need a goalie we will give you Halak’. Now last word on the interest of Halak was that two teams have inquired about the asking price. Halak currently has 2 years, $9 million cap hit remaining.

    The current stats of the goalies are:

    Greiss 5GP- 2-3-0  .908 S%  2.87 GAA

    Halak 6 GP 2-3-1  .908 S%  2.94 GAA

    Berube DNP

    Here are my thoughts…

    First of all, if you’re thinking, just send Berube down, that’s not going to happen because they are worried that he will get claimed off waivers. The Islanders think Berube is their goalie of the future and they don’t want to risk losing him.

    Next if you think the agent should’ve kept his mouth shut you are again wrong! Walsh needed to voice this opinion; one if not both of his clients are unhappy with this situation. There are only two nets at practice. That means one goalie is standing around or rotating in. Halak wasn’t at a morning skate and then started a game that night. How does that make sense? This team didn’t change that much in the off season losing Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Matt Martin. They found replacements for most with Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera. This team is better than 4 wins.

    I am okay with Snow shopping Halak to teams; something needs to change and trading one of the goalies solves these issues. Now I am wondering which teams are interested. My guess is the Kings and Hurricanes. I highly doubt Halak would like Carolina as a new home but he would love LA. I also don’t think Walsh is mad about this happening. He had an issue, he said something to get it to change.

    As for the Islanders point of view, first give Berube a start and see what happens. If he shines, then pull the trigger on a deal. If he falls on his face, then maybe reconsider your future. If you do trade Halak away and Greiss becomes your new number one, good luck with that. Don’t get me wrong, he is a decent goalie, but I don’t think he is number one goalie material. I think something needs to happen soon before all players get more upset and they fall further in the standings.

  • Colby’s Corner Flames Found a Goalie

    The Calgary Flames had a rough season last year due to some pretty bad goalies. They had a carousal of goalies starting with Jonas Hiller. Hiller played in 26 games last year and finished with a goals against average (GAA) of 3.51 and a terrible save percentage of .879. They soon gave up on Hiller and they turned to Karri Ramo. Ramo played the most games of their season with 37 games, Ramo wasn’t much better as he posted a 2.63 GAA and save percentage .909.

    They gave youngster Joni Ortio 22 games and the trend continued with him as his numbers were 2.76 GAA and save percentage .902. The team got desperate as they turned to Niklas Backstrom for four games and his numbers were also pretty bad as he posted 3.35 GAA and save percentage of .881.

    So it didn’t come as surprise that the team needed to bring in some Calgary Flames Logobetter goaltending. They thought they accomplished this when they traded with St. Louis for Brian Elliott. He was set to become the Flames new number one goalie.

    They also added Chad Johnson through free agency after his career year in Buffalo. He was set to be the backup to start the season. Johnson believes he can be a number one goalie and maybe believed he could beat Elliott out for the number one spot, but was content as number two.

    Well things didn’t go as suspected for Brian Elliott. After back-to-back losses to Edmonton and allowing 10 goals. They final give Chad Johnson his first start of the season against Vancouver and he earns the team the first points of the season as the team falls to Vancouver in overtime. They give Johnson his second start of the season 3 days later vs. Buffalo and he gives the team their first win of the season.

    The Flames gave Brian Elliott another chance against the Carolina Hurricanes. He gave up another 4 goals and another loss for the Flames. Elliott’s season stats thus far are horrible with a GAA of 4.72 and save percentage of .839. Johnson however has tremendous numbers thus far with GAA of 1.89 and save percentage of .923. This ranks him top 10 in NHL in both stats.

    The Flames still believe Brian Elliott is their number one goalie even when the stats don’t back the information up. I am a believer in playing the hot goalie and thus I think Johnson should take over as number one. Elliott may have a better career numbers and more experience in bigger games. But Johnson can be a number one goalie and Calgary should give him the chance.

    Although a team can’t make the playoffs this early in the year, they can definitely lose hope. When a team plays their hearts out and yet they lose because of a lack of goaltending, it can kill a team’s morale and impact a team greatly. I am not saying Calgary’s season is over, all I am saying is Johnson is the hot goalie and they should give him a chance to be the number one.

  • Colby’s Corner Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

    So as most of you know, I make a lot of bold predictions. I can be right sometimes, and others not so much. Well I’m hoping to continue this trend this year, so I am taking a crack at the Stanley Cup finals not even a week into the season.

    So from the Eastern Conference:

    This is a tough one for me because you have the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose core didn’t change much. They still have the HBK line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. They still have Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby is currently out with a concussion but will be returning soon.

    Another team that comes to my mind in the battle of the east is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa’s general manager Steve Yzerman made amazing moves to keep all of his players like Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. They also have Victor Hedman who received an extension this off-season. I just think this team will be a tough one to beat in the playoffs.

    However, my team coming from the east is the Washington Capitals. Washington Capitals LogoBehind Braden Holtby and Alex Ovechkin this team is looking to win a cup. They all now have another year of playoff experience and if they didn’t meet the red hot Penguins last year, we could’ve been talking about the Capitals looking to defend the Cup. Players like Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky gained a crucial year of experience and hopefully this allows them to show up this time. Not to mention players like Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie, this team has to bring a Cup to Washington and I think this year is the year to do it.

    So from the Western Conference:

    Similar to the East, three teams come to mind: The Chicago Blackhawks, the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues.

    The San Jose Sharks feel they should’ve won the Cup last year, and I personally believe Joe Pavelski is looking to avenge the loss and I think he will have a great season leading this team. Players like Brent Burns, Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl will be key in returning to the playoffs, although I don’t see them returning to the finals this year.  

    Everyone knows the Chicago Blackhawks are a good team every other year. This year will be no different. They will get hot at the right time of the season and make the first few rounds of playoffs look easy. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are going to be leaders that get this team going in front of Corey Crawford.

    Although the team I am picking in the finals from the west is a big rival Unknown-1of the Chicago Blackhawks and that is the St. Louis Blues. Yes that’s right, I am picking Connor’s team. They have looked solid to start the season. Jake Allen has surprised many through the way he has played as their number one goalie. Vladimir Tarasenko has also played well early on, netting two goals in the opening game against Chicago.

     

    So who will win it all?

    Washington. Strictly on the basis of goaltending. Braden Holtby is better than Jake Allen and I don’t see Allen being able to play that many games in a row and keep it together. I think the teams will match up well offensively and defensively. I am taking Washington in 6 games!

  • Colby’s Corner Sabres’ Swords In the Playoffs

    If you have been following the blog at all or just me personally you know I am a huge Buffalo Sabres fan. With this being said, it has been a year since I have written an article about them, so it’s about time for the Sabres update. Unknown-2

    The Sabres roster looks a little different going into this season as Chad Johnson, David Legwand and Carlo Colaiacovo’s contracts have expired and they are no longer with the team.

    At the 2016 draft, Tim Murray made another trade as the Sabres acquired a top four defenseman Dmitry Kulikov for Mark Pysyk. Another trade at the draft was a 3rd round pick for the negotiating rights of Jimmy Vesey. Jimmy Vesey was due to become a UFA on August 15th when Murray acquired him. This gave the Sabres a few weeks to talk with Vesey before that date. In the end, Vesey decided to become a UFA and eventually chose the New York Rangers as his new team.

    The team continued to get better as they landed a top free agent in Kyle Okposo for a 7-year, $42 million contract. This figures out to be a six million dollar average annual value (per year cap hit). The Sabres added a few AHL players for Rochester in free agency, the biggest name being Justin Falk, who will fight to be the depth guy in Buffalo. Most of the Sabres offseason was trying to re-sign their current players.

    The Sabres gave one-year deals to Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, Daniel Catenacci, Cole Schneider and Johan Larsson. Jason Kasdorf, Casey Nelson and Nicolas Deslauriers got 2-year deals. Jake McCabe got a 3-year deal with $1.6M average annual value. There is only one RFA left and that is Rasmus Ristolainen. Not to worry, though, he is expected to sign a big long-term deal keeping him with the Sabres for a while. (As for why Murray is waiting, I have no clue and I am as frustrated as you are.)

    So with all of these moves plus adding a top six winger and top four defenseman, what does this mean for the Sabres this upcoming season?  

    Here are my thoughts on the subject. The Sabres need to be playoff-bound this year for a few reasons:

    First, the Atlantic division is completely up for grabs this year. Looking at the division, there isn’t one clear winner like years past. Boston and Montreal have questions defensively to figure out. The Florida Panthers have a lot of new faces, but will they all fit and work together right? Tampa might be the strongest team in the division after keeping Steven Stamkos.

    Photo Credit: Bill Wippert
    Photo Credit: Bill Wippert

    Second, if the Sabres don’t make the playoffs, it could be the end of Dan Bylsma in Buffalo. Bylsma wasn’t Murray first choice to be coach of this team, and if the team doesn’t improve at the rate Murray wants them to, there could be big changes and Bylsma could be one of them.

    Finally, do it for Marcus and Zemgus. Folgino and Girgensons had a few question asked of them about production last season. If the team doesn’t make the playoffs this season, these are two guys who could be playing their last season in Buffalo unless their production jumps up dramatically. You may call me crazy for this thought, but it really does hurt me knowing that my favorite player (Girgensons) may be traded at some point.

  • Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s –Pacific

    Colby’s Corner meets Connor for divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and a goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Pacific division.

    Connor: Forward- Joe PavelskiUnknown

    Of the three Pacific Division teams to qualify for the playoffs, only San Jose plays an offensive game.  Who better to lead that charge than Captain Pavelski, the Pacific forward MVP.  This guy does absolutely everything.  He’s the leading goal scorer in the division, successful on 17% of attempts, and takes second in points.  Oh yeah, on the other end, he also has 67 blocks to his credit (leads San Jose forwards), not to mention his 147 hits.

    His closest competition for the honor was actually line-mate Joe Thornton, who leads the division in assists and points.  Since they are on the same line, the Joes have the same +25, but the reason Thornton falls off for me is his only taking half the shots Pavelski does while still having a shooting percentage over 15.7%.  I know he’s north of 35-years-old, but I feel like Thornton still has a lot to give and could benefit by being on his own line, but that hasn’t happened since the 2013-’14 season if I’m not mistaken.

    Colby: Joe Thornton

    I like Pavelski, but I had to go with big Jumbo Joe on this one. This year he had 63 assists and 82 points. I have to give it to the man who has been setting up Pavelski all year long. The two of them couldn’t stop connecting all year long and now we are seeing them connect in the playoffs. Both Pavelski and Thornton would be deserving of the reward, I just wanted the assist king to get some love, so I picked big Joe.

    Connor: Defender- Brent Burns

    Was there much doubt here?  This is another man that does everything for the Sharks.  He’s scored the second most goals and assists for his entire team to rank third in points, and all of those totals are tops in the division for defensemen.  While being a threat to score, he also maintains his blue line presence, having the most blocks on his squad.

    Burns’ main detractor is the exact same as Erik Karlsson, an offensive D-man cut from the same cloth.   Neither players have positive +/-, which is a price they pay for being more involved on the opposite end of the ice.  When it works like it has been this season for the Sharks to get into a playoff spot, it is certainly an issue they can deal with.

    Colby: Brent Burns

    I can’t argue Brent Burns at all; this man and his beard are both amazing. Burns is a defenseman that the other team has to keep their eye on at all times. He played all 82 games this year and put up 75 points. That means he had a point in 91% of his games. Teams couldn’t stop him or keep him off the scoresheet. If the Sharks have a deep run it’s because of the 3 players we have mentioned so far this year. A nice honorable mention will go to Drew Doughty who put up 51 points and had a plus minus of +24 tops in the top 10 Defenseman by points.Unknown

    Connor: Goaltender- Jonathan Quick

    Quick has some of the strongest numbers in the league, much less the division, and has led his team to barely missing out on their second division title.  He leads the division in wins and fell one short of tying for shutouts.  Going along with that, he also has 38 quality starts and a .559 quality start rate, which leads those stats of both the remaining goaltenders for the other division qualifiers.

    I toyed with choosing Martin Jones for a minute, based simply on how much more work he has to do compared to Quick and John Gibson due to the defense in front of him, but decided against it since save percentage and goals against average were the lowest of the three netminders.

    Colby: John GibsonUnknown

    This one may be a shock but if you look at save percentage and goals against average, John Gibson actually beats Jonathan Quick. Quick was second in the league for wins, however, as he had a .918 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average. Gibson had .920 save percentage and 2.07 GAA, thus edging out Quick. Now I also look at the games Gibson played, but the thing to remember is he didn’t start the year with Anaheim. He was in the AHL and earned a spot on the team and during the run at the end of the year he was the number one goalie. Gibson needs some credit for Anaheim’s huge comeback this season.

  • Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s -Metropolitan

    Colby’s Corner meets Connor for divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Metropolitan division.

    Connor: Forward – Sid the Kid or Ovi?  Sid the Kid or Ovi?  Who to choose as the Metro forward MVP?Washington Capitals Logo

    Personally, I’m leaning towards Crosby.  I know, go figure, the Pens fan leans that way.  But here’s the thing: Crosby led the Metro in points with his 85, which is 14 more than the Alex Ovechkin.  Sure, Ovi has the goals lead by over a dozen, and Crosby doesn’t have the division assists lead (that one actually belongs to Evgeny Kuznetsov).  But, the fact that Crosby is a versatile player is what sets him apart.  He has the second most goals in the division, and the same is true of assists – hence the points lead.  That unpredictability of not knowing whether he’s going to take the shot or dump it off makes him an invaluable weapon.

    Colby: Alex Ovechkin

    I have to agree with Connor on this one, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were the best two forwards in this division. Although I’m giving advantage to Ovechkin because Crosby had a horrible start to the season and only really turned it on the final few months of the season. I understand that’s a great time to be hot, but I can’t give a season MVP to a player who didn’t do much in the first half of the year.

    Not to mention what Ovechkin did this year: he had a 50 goal season and 70 point year also. Yes, he was on the best team in the league, but a lot of the reasons players like Justin Williams and TJ Oshie are successful is because other teams are trying to focus on Ovechkin. This man had a strong season and ended on a hat-trick in his final few games.

    Connor: Defender – Ryan McDonaghNew York Rangers Logo

    I’m not picking him just because he was a star for my fantasy team this season (But seriously though, he was.  Like, fifth highest scorer all season, good for the team that won our league’s President’s Trophy.).  Of the three candidates I had for this title, he far and away had the best season.  His main competition was Olli Maatta, as Maatta had a +27 on the year to McDonagh’s +26.  The thing is though, not only does the Blueshirt lead the Penguin in blocks – in my opinion the primary way of gauging a true defenseman’s efforts – but he also helped himself out by scoring 34 points, including nine goals.  Even better than that, not only did he take more shots, but he also connected on 1.7% more of those attempts.  What a stud.

    The other man that had his hat in the ring was Karl Alzner.  I sort of hinted at it before, but I like blocks.  A lot.  Alzner fits that bill, as he has over 60 more than McDonagh, and even scored more points and assists than Maatta, but you simply can’t look past his +14 rating.  I know, what a terrible stat.  What some teams wouldn’t give to have that consistency.  But, it pales to McDonagh and Maatta’s efforts, eliminating him from contention.

    Colby: Kris LetangPittsburgh Penguins Logo

    I am really surprised Connor didn’t pick this Penguin, so I will. Kris Letang may not be my favorite person but he had a solid year. Letang had 51 assists and 67 points on the year. We also can point out he is 3rd in points by a defenseman. Among those top 3 defensemen, he had the best plus minus of +9. If we gave Erik Karlsson an MVP in Atlantic, we have to consider Letang for Metro. There, I reached my quota for nice comments about the Pittsburgh Penguins.

    Connor: Goaltender – Braden Holtby

    This one should be a lot easier than I made it, but I think I’m going to have to go with Holtby.  I started out with a tough list of five goaltenders to choose from (Marc-Andre Fleury, Thomas Greiss, Holtby, Michal Neuvirth and Cory Schneider), all goaltenders I consider to be very good.  Yes, I’m fully aware I did not include Henrik Lundqvist, but I think it’s safe to say that this was not the best season of his incredible career, as the Rangers had 217 goals against, barely below the league average.

    Anyways, back to Holtby.  There’s obviously the 48 wins to his credit, although with an offense like Washington’s, I don’t think that’s where you fully gauge him.  What really sets him apart from Schneider in this instance is his nine losses.  Yes, nine, after taking the decision in 64 games.  Schneider?  25 losses, only two fewer than his wins (which, just like Holtby, can be partially attributed to New Jersey’s poor offense).

    To close things out, I’m most impressed by Holtby’s success given his age.  Whether or not you buy into the theory that goaltenders typically peak around the same age, I think it’s safe to assume that experience will improve your game.  Schneider is showing that at the ripe age of 29.  Holtby is only 26.  If he continues improving until that point, God save the Metropolitan Division.  Martin Brodeur to Lundqvist to Holtby is definitely not what those teams were hoping for.

    Colby: Braden Holtby

    I don’t think this is even a question at this point, when you tie the record for most wins in single season and your name is now with Martin Brodeur, you deserve a trophy. He is a big reason the Caps are as good as they are. I think this was a break out year for him and I think after this season you have to consider him an elite goalie in the NHL. He was the best goalie in the whole league and at this point I hope it just translates to the playoffs.

  • Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s- part 2

    Colby’s Corner meets Connor for Divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and a goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Atlantic Division.

    Forward

    Connor– Patrick KaneUnknown-2

    I’m sure this was unexpected.  You know, it was a stretch with his league leading 103 points, composed of the second most goals (44) and third most assists.  It’s too bad the Hawks don’t have anyone else on their team…  Right…  These Blackhawks are really good, which almost makes Kane’s incredible numbers even better since he has such competition.

    Colby– Patrick Kane

    I don’t think it’s a question that this has to be given to Patty Kane. This man knew that this year he had to step up after losing Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad, well he sure did that. This man is one of the first Americans to ever hit 100 points in a single season. The game he hit 100 points in against the Bruins was pure destruction. He finished with 3 goals and an assist. This man can’t be stopped, only slowed down. Hopefully this continues in the World Cup of Hockey, so the United States stands a good chance in it.

    Defender

    Connor– Colton Parayko

    I know, leave it to the Blues fan to pick Parayko. Hear me out, though. I’m usually against picking rookies for these sorts of things, just because I think a few years of experience gives us a better gauge of what to expect.  That being said, this kid has a +29 on the entire season. Think about that. That doesn’t just lead his entire team, or even just all Central defenders, but is best in the division, regardless of position. He’s gotten to that position by scoring 33 points and blocking 115 shots. If he can continue this success, he could quickly become one of the top defensemen in the entire NHL.

    Colby– Roman JosiUnknown

    Okay Connor, you are nuts with this one. Parayko isn’t even going to be a finalist for Calder. I am not picking him for this division. I have to give it to Roman Josi. This man is 4th in points of defenseman with 61 points. Connor, that’s 28 points ahead of your man up there. He may be a minus on the season, but the difference is the team he has with him. James Neal isn’t Vladimir Tarasenko and it’s ultimately him and Weber out there playing defense. Josi is also 1oth in goals scored by defenseman. This was a good break out season, but I am taking Josi for my pick.

    Goaltender

    Connor– Brian Elliott

    This one is tough, as there is such a disparity in games played between the top two goaltenders in this division. That being said, Brian Elliott, who has played in 37 games for a 21-7-6 record, is deserving of this honor. With four shutout victories, he has a 93.2% save percentage and a 2.00 GAA, both tops in the league, for 24 quality starts (.706 QS%)Unknown-1

    Corey Crawford actually leads Elliott in a few stats, including wins and winning percentage, shutouts, and quality starts, but he also has 20 more games played to his advantage. Elliott has had to fight both injuries and Jake Allen for the starting job, which makes his efforts even more special.

    Colby– Corey Crawford

    It’s funny you mention Crawford because he is my pick for the goaltender MVP of this division. Just like you said, he edges Elliott including wins with Crawford having 35 wins thus far on the season. You look at it as fewer games giving Elliott an advantage, I disagree. Part of the NHL is staying healthy and Elliott couldn’t do that, just like he can’t keep the number one job there in St. Louis. Jake Allen and Elliott have split time and that proves he’s not good enough to keep the number one slot. If you want to bring Crawford’s backup Darling in this, remember Darling won Chicago a playoff, something neither goalie in St. Louis has done yet. Sorry Connor. Rant over.