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09/10/2020 edition:

Imagine if Blues Had Never Traded Oshie for Brouwer

By Ryan Szporer on Sep 10, 2020 12:39 pm

St. Louis Blues forward Troy Brouwer just cleared waivers, further signaling the inevitable end of a championship-winning career.

Blues Deal Oshie for Brouwer

Brouwer had signed a one-year deal back in November to rejoin the Blues after a professional try-out. The rugged forward had served as a risk-free addition, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in the summer of 2015, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong acquired him the first time around in a trade with the Washington Capitals (with backup goalie Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick that would become Garrett Pilon) for T.J. Oshie.

It would be an understatement to say the Blues gave up more than they got in the deal. Nevertheless, it arguably worked out for both sides, just for vastly different reasons.

At the time, some analysts actually saw the trade as a potential loss for the Caps. They were giving up much-needed grit and size in favor of skill. Like with any trade there was undeniable risk involved, but it was probably more so for the Blues in all actuality.

Oshie vs. Brouwer

The Blue were instead giving up a younger player in Oshie who also had two seasons left under contract. The Blues were meanwhile gaining a 30-year-old whose best years were logically behind him. The fact that Brouwer had only one season under contract at that point, while ultimately for the best, had to be seen as another drawback at the time.

In that sense, the trade was probably seen as a calculated move by Armstrong. Obviously, Oshie was the player with the higher ceiling, with Brouwer topping out at 43 points (Oshie was and still is a 60-point threat, albeit an inconsistent one). Nevertheless, the Blues had failed to win a single game in the second round in literally 13 years. Changes were necessary.

While Armstrong likely failed to foresee Oshie becoming a30-goal-scorer with the Caps, Brouwer delivered production in line withexpectations. He notched 18 goals and 21 assists that 2015-16 season, as wellas 13 points in 20 playoff games the following spring as the Blues reachedRound 3 for the first time since 2001.

As a result, the deal has to have been considered a success for the Blues. Other teams have given up similar hauls at the trade deadline for rentals, without getting nearly as far in the playoffs. Brouwer was just their rental. The only difference is the Blues got an entire season out of him instead of just a few months.

Blues and Capitals Both Win

It maybe wasn’t a success to the same degree it has been from the perspective of the Capitals, admittedly. After all, Oshie is still a member of the Caps, with whom he won a Cup in 2018. They also coincidentally got the rights to Copley and Pilon back in separate deals. Nevertheless, considering the Blues won it all a year later, it’s hard to feel too bad for them, even if they lost Brouwer after just the one season.

In fact, considering the sharp decline in Brouwer’sproduction since his one season with the Blues, it’s probably for the best. Hesigned a four-year, $18 million deal with the Calgary Flames on July 1, 2016only to go from 40 points a season to 20. That deal got bought out in 2018, atwhich point Brouwer signed a one-year deal with the Panthers on the cheap,which brings us to the point at which he re-joined the Blues.

The fact that Armstrong signed Brouwer back in Novemberproves the he had been happy with how things went back in 2015-16. It obviouslyisn’t working out as well this time around, as Brouwer has a single goal in 13games as a frequent healthy scratch, begging the question: would they prefer tohave Oshie?

Superficially speaking, sure. Oshie continues to produce with the Caps. Furthermore, his $5.75 million cap hit is more than worthwhile. That’s where the positives stop outweighing the negatives, though. The deal Oshie signed with the Caps to stay on back in 2017 was for eight years and comes complete with a modified no-trade clause. It expires when Oshie will be 38 years old, at which point that hit won’t be nearly as attractive. It’s fair to assume the Blues would have had to offer him something similar or lose him to free agency altogether.

Seeing as the Blues are in a less-than-enviable salary-cap position, it’s all effectively moot. Had the Blues kept Oshie in the fold instead of trading him away, they may not have felt comfortable acquiring Ryan O’Reilly and his $7.5 million hit. They likely don’t get back David Perron, who’s actually outscored Oshie over the last two seasons as a Blue, even on his current sweetheart four-year, $16 million deal. There just wouldn’t have been space to under the cap or on the roster. Fans may even be bracing for the impending departure of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo instead of assuming Armstrong somehow re-signs him.

To be clear, the Capitals didn’t lose the trade. It’s just a deal in which the Blues got the worse return but still ended up as winners themselves. Brouwer served his purpose in the short term. He may not have been a part of the team that won the Cup a few seasons later, but the ramifications of the deal undeniably helped shape the championship-winning squad. So, it’s not a deal to be regretted, but rather celebrated, much like Brouwer, even in his limited role as his time with the Blues nears its end.

The post Imagine if Blues Had Never Traded Oshie for Brouwer appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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Dale Hawerchuk Trade Revisited

By Nathaniel Oliver on Sep 10, 2020 09:52 am

Beginning in 1981, Dale Hawerchuk became one of the most dominant centers in the National Hockey League and was the face of the Winnipeg Jets. After a junior career in the QMJHL in which he scored 81 goals and 102 assists in all of 72 games for the 1980-81 Cornwall Royals , he was at the top of the draft charts. Winnipeg selected Hawerchuk with the first overall pick of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. From there he forged a 16-year career that ended in Hockey Hall of Fame induction.

The finest years of Hawerchuk’s success came as a Jet and lasted for nearly a decade. Therefore, when he was eventually moved from Winnipeg to a rightful suitor, it became a landmark move that kicked off the NHL of the 1990s with blockbuster fashion. The man affectionately known as “Ducky” was bade farewell from Manitoba, and forged the later portion of his great career. All with one eye-popping move.

Setting the Stage

During the 1980s it seemed that nearly every NHL team had a premier centerman. “The Great One” in Edmonton with the Oilers. The Penguins belonged to “Super Mario” in Pittsburgh. Then you had Denis Savard with Chicago, Bernie Federko with St. Louis, Bryan Trottier on Long Island, Peter Stastny in Quebec City, Ron Francis with the Hartford Whalers, and so on and so forth.

Though star centers were in abundance, the Jets’ Hawerchuk was arguably one of the top-five in the game for the entire decade. He would win the Calder Trophy in 1982 as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year after scoring 45 goals and 58 assists for 103 points during his first season. Hawerchuk would score 100 points or more five more times for Winnipeg – six times total in just nine seasons. His highest point total was seen during the 1984-85 season when he scored 53 goals (a career high), 77 assists and 130 points in 80 games.

Hawerchuk and the Jets would miss the playoffs for the 1988-89 season. This would be the first and only time the team did not make the postseason during his tenure. The next year, after never falling below 91 points, Hawerchuk’s numbers slipped substantially by his standards in what would be his final season in Winnipeg. This was by no means a sign of aging or an off season for the star center. Rather, first-year Jets Head Coach Bob Murdoch decreased Hawerchuk’s ice time and tensions mounted between the two.

“I was getting 15 to 18 minutes (of playing time) a game after I used to get 30 to 35”, Hawerchuk was quoted as saying in a Jun. 17, 1990 article by Kevin Oblobzija of the Rochester NY Democrat and Chronicle. “It was becoming difficult for me, especially when you feel good physically. From the start, he (Murdoch) really never had confidence in me. I have nothing against him, he’s entitled to coach the way he wants.”

Midway through the 1989-90 season, Hawerchuk requested a trade of Winnipeg GM Mike Smith. Both Smith and his centerman agreed that it would be best to wait until the summer to complete the deal. For the 1989-90 NHL campaign Hawerchuk scored 26 goals and 55 assists for 81 points – the lowest goal and point totals of his time in Winnipeg. Though Murdoch’s Jets assembled a winning record of 37-32-11, they would suffer an opening round playoff loss in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers. Hawerchuk led the team in playoff scoring that final year with three goals and five assists in the seven games. By this point though, the damage had already been done and there was no reconciling between he and Murdoch.

Hawerchuk Is Shuffled off to Buffalo

True to his word, Smith would grant Hawerchuk his trade request after the 1989-90 season ended. Though he knew that he would be moving onward, the star center knew not where he would be going. In what many referred to as “The Dale Hawerchuk Sweepstakes”, a trade would need to come at sizable cost no matter which team ended up obtaining his services. Players of Hawerchuk’s skill level rarely came along, and most oftentimes there would be great hesitancy in parting ways with one. The Jets of course needed a willing partner who had the goods worth swapping for.

General Manager Gerry Meehan and the Buffalo Sabres were willing to tango. The 28th NHL Entry Draft was held on Jun. 16, 1990 in Vancouver, BC, CA, with the Canucks playing host. With some tremendous prospects waiting anxiously to be selected, Meehan and Smith pulled off a blockbuster deal that was announced for everyone present to hear. The Jets shipped Hawerchuk and their own first round selection to the Sabres in exchange for All-Star defenseman Phil Housley, perennial third-liner Scott Arniel, tough guy Jeff Parker, and Buffalo’s top pick in the draft.

After the swap, the Sabres then possessed the 14th overall selection in the draft, while Winnipeg lowered down to 19th. Subsequently, both teams would draft big, powerful wingers who each were considered to have a scoring touch. Buffalo would draft Brad May, while Winnipeg opted to select Keith Tkachuk.

In retrospect, the swapping of draft picks is very interesting to contemplate. May, who never scored more than 18 goals in an NHL season played 18 years in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He played parts of seven seasons with Buffalo – the longest stay of his lengthy career.

Tkachuk on the other hand, who never won the Cup, goes down as one of the best USA-born players in league history. He also played 18 seasons and scored 538 goals and 1,065 points – far more than May’s numbers of 127 goals and 289 points. Tkachuk played almost a full decade with the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise, and only played one full NHL season in which he did not score at least 20 goals.

In terms of draft picks, Winnipeg got the better player.

How the Deal Panned out for Winnipeg

When we consider the two teams and how their respective history panned out after the trade took place, Buffalo made out with the better end of the deal. This stems from production, team performance, and longevity of the players involved with the deal.

Let’s look first at Winnipeg’s payout. The centermost piece of the deal for the Jets was Housley. An eventual Hockey Hall of Famer himself, the smallish defender was one of the better offensive-defensemen of his generation. He often was overshadowed during the 1980s by Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque, but in an offensive era he was one of the best. Housley had scored double digits in goals in every year since he had been in the league, and assembled more of the same after arriving in Winnipeg.

During his three years with the Jets his point totals went up each season, with him scoring 23 goals in each of his first two years. The highest seasonal totals that Housley ever produced for assists and points came during his 1992-93 season in Winnipeg – 79 helpers and 97 total points in 80 games that year.

Jeff Parker and Scott Arniel were more so role players. Parker never ended up playing a game for Winnipeg. Sadly, he passed away at age 53 on Sept. 11, 2017 from complications of heart and lung infections. Arniel, who had actually began his career with the Jets before coming to Buffalo in a 1986 trade between the two teams, played just the 1990-91 season in Winnipeg and then finished out his career with a brief stay in Boston the following year.

How the Deal Panned out for Buffalo

The Sabres were certainly the ones who got the better return on the deal. Hawerchuk played five years with the Sabres as opposed to Housley’s three in Winnipeg. Furthermore, he brought about more of a symbiotic relationship at the center position for Buffalo. Playing his first year with the Sabres and fellow center Pierre Turgeon, followed by four alongside Hall of Fame center Pat LaFontaine, the one-two punch of Hawerchuk and Turgeon/LaFontaine down the middle alleviated pressure from each center and paid major dividends for the Sabres.

Hawerchuk’s scored his 1,000th NHL point during his first season in Buffalo, coming Mar. 8, 1991 against Chicago when he tallied a power play goal – it took him only 781 games to accomplish the feat. Except for the lockout shortened 1994-95 season, Hawerchuk never scored less than 86 points during his four full seasons with the Sabres. Furthermore, he set his career high in assists during the 1992-93 season when he had 80 of them in 81 games, and also scored 16 goals. During that year’s postseason Hawerchuk had his highest playoff point total of his career when he scored five goals and nine assists for 14 points in eight contests.

With extensive injuries happening to LaFontaine in the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons, Hawerchuk oftentimes assumed the role as the premier center in Buffalo and did so quite well. His performance as a Sabre was enough that he would eventually be inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Eventual Evenness of the Deal

When we look back at the deal all these years later, there is a certain evenness to both sides. Neither Buffalo nor Winnipeg won a Stanley Cup out of the deal. Each team received an eventual Hockey Hall of Famer. The only player conceivably involved to win a Cup was May, and he did so many years afterward. Tkachuk had the longest tenure with one of the teams after the trade took place. Still, it is hard to even count May and Tkachuk as true pieces in the deal, since neither was specifically named in the transaction – they were simply who each team chose after the main swap was all said and done.

If there is an edge it has to go to the Sabres for gaining Hawerchuk. He was the centerpiece. While Housley was always thought highly of – and still is to this day – Buffalo got on well enough without him. Parting ways with Hawerchuk on the other hand, broke the collective hearts of Winnipeg. No matter how you look at it, his departure from the Jets and arrival in Buffalo is the main crux. To this day Murdoch’s brief tenure with the team sticks in the craw of Winnipeg fans as it ultimately culminated in the farewell of their beloved superstar.

The post Dale Hawerchuk Trade Revisited appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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Every NHL Team’s Top Prospect – Postseason Update

By Josh Bell on Sep 10, 2020 09:17 am

Every NHL team’s prospect pool is constantly changing. Players graduate to the big league, some might get traded, and the NHL Draft provides fresh faces every year. The future of a franchise in this league is extremely dependant on having both high-end talent and a deep farm system. Some teams are lucky enough to have both, others don’t really have either for various reasons.

• The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked

• The NHL’s Top-100 Prospects

On most teams, they have a clear-cut, number one prospect in the organization. Others have two or more that could easily take the title, but for the most part, there’s an obvious choice. In this list, we’ll take a look at just who those to prospects are.

As I do with all of my prospect posts, I will be following The Athletic‘s prospect definition from Corey Pronman:

“A skater no longer qualifies as an NHL prospect if he has played 25 games in the NHL in any campaign, regular season and playoffs combined, or 50 games total; or reaches age 27 by Sept. 15.

Related: THW’s Wall-to-Wall Prospect & Draft Coverage

“A goalie no longer qualifies as an NHL prospect if he has played 10 games in the NHL in any campaign, regular season and playoffs combined, or 25 games total; or reaches age 27 by Sept. 15.” (From: “Pronman: 2019-20 NHL Farm System Rankings”).

This list will be updated regularly, so be sure to check back often and see who takes the crown as the current top prospect on your favourite team. (Alphabetical by team, not ranked).

As always, feel free to reach out with questions, comments or thoughts. This can either be done in the comment section at the bottom or send me a message on Twitter: @JoshuaBell31.

Note: If there’s no “Previously,” that player remains the team’s top prospect.

Anaheim Ducks: Trevor Zegras

The Anaheim Ducks held the ninth overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft and landed their top prospect in Trevor Zegras. He looks to be an elite, impact player in the league. A great, creative playmaker that should be the club’s next number one centre. As he continues to grow and improve, he could become one of the best centres in the game. He should see some NHL action this season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him stick.

Arizona Coyotes: Barrett Hayton

We’re kicking off some high-end centres early on. Arizona Coyotes centreman Barrett Hayton is another elite prospect, especially after his 1.67 points per game performance in the OHL during 2018-19. He has the speed and playmaking ability that could see him become a top-line centreman. The fifth-overall draft pick in 2018 could very easily be graduated from this list very soon. Also, it’s worth noting that Victor Soderstrom is nipping at his heels for this spot.

Boston Bruins: Jack Studnicka

Previously: John Beecher (Surpassed)

Jack Studnicka is a solid, two-way centreman that is coming off a dominant 2019-20 campaign that saw him lead the AHL’s Providence Bruins in all offensive categories. He a very intelligent player, making good decisions both with and without the puck. I fully expect him to make the Bruins full-time roster for the 2020-21 season and graduate from this list.

Buffalo Sabres: Dylan Cozens

Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Dylan Cozens is one of the best prospects in the entire league. Taken seventh overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, the centreman is an all-around stud, capable of playing in any situation and excelling. He’s an elite talent with high-end skating and creativity with the puck. He could be very close to coming off of this list.

Calgary Flames: Jakob Pelletier

Jakob Pelletier didn’t look like an elite prospect right off the bat, but he has continued to look better and better. The Calgary Flames don’t have a great prospect pool right now, as many of their young players have graduated in recent years. Pelletier was the 26th selection in the 2019 NHL Draft who’s not afraid to battle on the ice. He’s a small (5-foot-9) power forward with a good shot, who’s likely a couple of years away from the NHL still.

Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Bean

A poised defender of immense intelligence, Jake Bean is a tremendous two-way player who thrives at both ends of the ice. Strong in his defensive zone through the use of his stick and the ability to read plays before they develop, he can transition the puck to his forwards with ease and is capable of joining the rush as it progresses. A hard-worker and relentless talent, Bean drives offence in the opposing zone through his ability to create plays and willingness to unleash his crisp shot when the appropriate moment arises.

Chicago Blackhawks: Alex Vlasic

Previously: Adam Boqvist (Graduated)

At 6-foot-6, 198 pounds, Alex Vlasic already has the build of an NHL player. He’s excellent in his own end, using his size to rub opponents off the puck and his long reach to break up plays. He makes great plays with the puck in his own end and if he can translate his skill defensively to the offensive end, he could be an all-around great player. I strongly considered Ian Mitchell, who might be more widely considered the top prospect, but I have a lot of faith in Vlasic.

Colorado Avalanche: Bowen Byram

Bowen Byram is a great skater with an ability to surprise opposing players with his speed. His vision allows him to make big passing plays, and he isn’t afraid to play physically. He handles the puck very well and has a quick, hard shot that can fool goaltenders. His will very soon be quarterbacking the Avalanche’s power play and leading the breakouts from his own end.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Liam Foudy

Foudy’s bread and butter is his skating, which is a thing of beauty. He has an enormous amount of skill and is incredible with the puck. Once he fine-tunes his play in his own end, he will be a top-six player for the Blue Jackets. I think Foudy is one of the most underrated prospects in the entire league and he proved that with a stellar performance in the 2020 NHL Playoffs.

Dallas Stars: Thomas Harley

The Dallas Stars top prospect is defender Thomas Harley. Taken 18th overall in 2019, he looks like he could be a top-four defenseman in the NHL. He plays big minutes and sets up plays very well. The best part of his game though is his elite skating. There’s a lot of upside to his game, and I think he may get a taste of the NHL this season.

Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider

Previously: Filip Zadina (Graduated)

Moritz Seider already has NHL size, he’s a great passer, a good skater, and can win battles along the boards. What might be most impressive is his defensive game. Seider seems to remain calm in all situations and make the right decision to get the puck out of his own end. Many defenders at this stage in their careers need to focus on their defending ability, and while there’s room to improve, the German prospect is starting at a very advanced stage.

Edmonton Oilers: Philip Broberg

Philip Broberg seemed to be a polarizing prospect ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft. Some scouts had him high, some very low. The Oilers decided high was the right option, taking him eighth overall. He’s an elite skater who can blow by entire teams when his wheels get going. He’s solid offensively as well, as a set-up man from the point. He needs to fine-tune his game, but there’s lots to like about Broberg. Evan Bouchard is a very, very close second to Broberg.

Florida Panthers: Spencer Knight

With the 13th overall selection in 2019, the Florida Panthers selected goalie Spencer Knight. He’s incredibly calm and collected in the net, has great positioning, and remarkable reflexes. He won’t be in the NHL anytime soon, as goaltenders take longer than players and the team has Sergei Bobrovsky locked up, but Knight is one of – if not the – the top goaltending prospects in the league.

Los Angeles Kings: Alex Turcotte

The Los Angeles Kings have put together one of the best prospect pools in the league. Highlighting their strong system is 2019 fifth-overall pick, Alex Turcotte. Turcotte was the best two-way centre in the draft, and just might be the team’s next Anze Kopitar. He’s an excellent skater, can pile up the points, and is an elite prospect in the league. I’d expect to see the star prospect see some NHL time in 2020-21.

Minnesota Wild: Kirill Kaprizov

For the 2019-20 season, the Minnesota Wild have one of the best players in the world not in the NHL. Kirill Kaprizov is in the final year of his KHL deal, he’s an elite offensive threat that should be able to transition straight into the Wild’s top-six. Now that he’s signed for the 2020-21 season, we’ll be seeing him come off this list very soon.

Montreal Canadiens: Cole Caufield

Many had Cole Caufield as a top-10 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, yet he slid to 15 and the Montreal Canadiens – the first steal of the draft. He’s an elite skater and a pure goal-scorer. He has a full arsenal of shots, all of which can result in the puck in the back of the net. The Canadiens have a future superstar in their system, even if he spends a couple of seasons developing before he gets to the NHL. While Caufield is the obvious choice right now, Alexander Romanov deserves mention.

Nashville Predators: Philip Tomasino

Previously: Eeli Tolvanen (Surpassed)

Philip Tomasino is going to be a fan favourite for Predators fans very soon. He’s an excellent skater, with arguably elite puck-skills. He’s a very good playmaker, often making extremely creative passes through traffic. He’ll need to bulk up a bit, as he’s sometimes pushed around a bit, but Tomasino has a very full toolkit that will lead to him being a threat in the NHL very soon – likely in 2020-21.

New Jersey Devils: Ty Smith

Watching Devils prospect Ty Smith play, you can see that he knows everything that’s happening on the ice. He can see where everyone is but what makes him a great prospect is his ability to see where players are going to be. He can make a big stretch pass or carry it up himself, making a play in the offensive end. He should be a top-two defender very soon.

New York Islanders: Oliver Wahlstrom

Previously: Noah Dobson (Graduated)

The New York Islanders have an offensive weapon waiting to be unleashed in Oliver Wahlstrom. The forward is extremely skilled and has one of the best shots not in the NHL. He’s also a good setup man but has a shoot-first mentality. Wahlstrom needs to work on his skating, his consistency, and there are times where he doesn’t seem to compete as hard as he could, but he’s still a very good prospect.

New York Rangers: K’Andre Miller

Previously: Igor Shestyorkin (Graduated)

Among the many strong prospects that the Rangers have, K’Andre Miller is one of the best defenders of the group. He’s a very good skater and his size gives him a big reach with his stick. Combine that with his ability to lay down hits, and you get a strong defender. He should be a top-four player at the very least when he makes the jump. He has offensive skill too – completing the package. I will note though, that this spot could easily go to Nils Lundkvist as well.

Ottawa Senators: Drake Batherson

Drake Batherson dominated the AHL in his rookie campaign, earning a brief stint in the NHL where he came in like a wrecking ball before tapering off. He’s always a threat when he’s on the ice, whether it’s a shot or a pass. He’s a core piece of the Senators rebuild, and likely won’t be on this list for very long.

Philadelphia Flyers: Morgan Frost

Morgan Frost is an exciting player to watch. In his last two seasons with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, he put up 221 points in just 125 games. He looks like a sure-fire top-line centreman with superstar potential. His creativity is through the roof – you don’t want to face him one on one. He needs to improve his skating, and if he does, the NHL should watch out. He shouldn’t be on this list much longer.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Samuel Poulin

Previously: Calen Addison (Traded)

The one first-round pick that the Pittsburgh Penguins have had since 2014, Samuel Poulin is the system’s top prospect by a wide margin. Poulin might not be too far away from the NHL. He was invited to the Penguins Return to Play training camp in July 2020, and he’s had back-to-back impressive seasons in the QMJHL The power forward holds a lot of promise.

San Jose Sharks: Ryan Merkley

Despite the turmoil surrounding San Jose Sharks’ prospect Ryan Merkley, he remains the club’s top prospect. The 2018 first-round pick is lethal in the offensive zone, is a high-end playmaker, and has a great shot. He needs to work on his play in his own end and his attitude, but there’s no question that there’s a solid player in Merkley.

St. Louis Blues: Scott Perunovich

Previously: Jordan Kyrou (Graduated)

Scott Perunovich made anyone who wasn’t paying attention notice this season, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA. He’s an excellent skater that can drive the rush and make a stellar play in transition. The top prospect for the St. Louis Blues could very much be headed to the NHL in 2019-20.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Cal Foote

Previously: Nolan Foote (Traded)

Cal Foote is a tremendous two-way defender whose game flourishes at both ends of the ice. Reliable in the defensive end due to his immense size and ability to physically dominate his opponents, he’s also a threat in the offensive zone, where his incredible hockey sense and underrated shot make him a focal point. Foote is immensely versatile, as he can play in seemingly any situation – whether it be the power play or penalty kill – and find great success in doing so.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson

Previously: Rasmus Sandin (Graduated)

Nicholas Robertson has impressed early on, but there’s still work to be done for the young forward. He can put up the points, he’s creative and has great offensive instincts. His skating has been a knock against him, and he needs to improve in his own end, but there’s lots to like for this player who was just four days away from being eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft instead of 2019. I think he’s going to be a steal – if he’s not already.

Vancouver Canucks: Vasily Podkolzin

It will be at least a couple of years before we see Vasily Podkolzin hit North America, but the build-up will be worth it. He never stops playing at 100 percent, resulting in him making an impact every time he hits the ice. He’s creative, has a great shot, and can make plays as well. There’s been some concern about his skating, but with sometime in the KHL, that should improve before he hits the NHL.

Vegas Golden Knights: Peyton Krebs

Peyton Krebs is another player on this list that I think could very easily shoot up and prove this ranking wrong. He’s a well-rounded prospect that brings an offensive flair to his game and is known as a leader. He’s a great playmaker and skater. A big selling point in Krebs’ game is his defensive skill. There aren’t many players that age that are as sound in his own zone as he is. A potential first-line centreman.

Washington Capitals: Connor McMichael

His play all-around is incredible. He’s an offensive weapon, with excellent vision, and a shot to be envious of. He seems to have gained confidence since being drafted, creating a dangerous player for all of his opponents. He’s been surging this season and shows no signs of slowing down. His 25th-overall pick is going to look extremely good very soon. If it doesn’t already (it does).

Winnipeg Jets: Ville Heinola

One of my favourite defensemen in the 2019 NHL Draft, Ville Heinola is the definition of hockey sense. He’s patient with the puck, has a calming presence on the ice, and makes zone-exits with ease. He’s great positionally, especially in his own end, but he does need to work on his skating in order to thrive at the next level. He’s still young though, so there’s still time to improve this. Early on, it looks like he’s made strides in this (pun intended).

Any prospect decisions that you disagree with? Make sure to leave your comments below!

The post Every NHL Team’s Top Prospect – Postseason Update appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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Top-5 Ukrainians in NHL History

By Nathaniel Oliver on Sep 09, 2020 11:18 am

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the NHL has found player representation from many countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. 1994 saw the first Russian-born players win the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers, and they have won Cups ever since. Additionally, Latvians, Lithuanians, and Belorussians have found names for themselves in North American rinks over the seasons. There is one country though that we North Americans have at times wrongfully attributed or grouped its players as being Russian, when they are not. We are talking about the Ukrainians of the NHL.

The country with a population of close to 42.5 million people has generated NHL players since the early-1990s. Ukrainians have won Stanley Cups, played in NHL All-Star Games, and have been 30-goal scorers. While there have not been all that many to have played in the league, the ones that have done so have certainly made a difference.

Having considered their successes, THW is now going to present for you the top-5 Ukrainians in the history of the NHL. For the sake of this discussion, we are going to keep our list as strictly players who were born and raised in Ukraine, and have kept their international playing status aligned with their homeland. Therefore, players such as Peter Bondra who was born in Lutsk, Ukraine but who long identified with and played internationally for Slovakia, or Alexei Zhitnik who is from Kiev but who represented Russia at two different Winter Olympics, are excluded.

With the pool for our list narrowed down to where it needs to be, we present to you the best of the NHL’s best Ukrainians:

#5 Igor Chibirev

The Hartford Whalers of the mid-1990s were not hesitant to seek out talent from various Eastern bloc countries. With the collapse of the Soviet Union earlier in the decade and the sudden availability of talent from that neck of the woods, the Whalers enlisted players who were lesser known than their North American counterparts but could potentially be diamonds in the rough. One such player was speedy Ukrainian forward Igor Chibirev.

Chibirev first garnered notice at the 1988 World Junior Championship when he suited up for the Soviet Union alongside Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny. The Soviets would win the silver medal at that year’s tournament.

Having played five straight seasons in Russia for CSKA Moscow, he made the jump to North America for the 1992-93 season. An odd path to take at the time though not uncommon among former Soviets, Chibirev signed with the IHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. Playing in 60 regular season games, he scored 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points to go with only two penalty minutes. Chibirev would be Fort Wayne’s leading scorer in that season’s playoffs – seven goals, 13 assists and 20 points in 12 games – as the Komets won the Turner Cup.

Hartford took notice and decided to take a chance when they drafted him in the eleventh round of the 1993 NHL Draft. While the Whalers also selected the teenage Chris Pronger in the opening round, Chibirev was already 25 years old and older than the vast majority of his draft class.

Splitting the 1993-94 season between lighting up the IHL nets and being a periphery player for the Whalers, Chibirev would make his NHL debut for Hartford on Nov. 1, 1993 against the St. Louis Blues. He would score his first NHL goal in only his second NHL game on Dec. 7 against the Washington Capitals. Chibirev would wrap up his first NHL season having scored four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 37 games.

He would have one last hurrah with the Whalers during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season. Playing in only eight games, Chiberev scored three goals and an assist. All three goals came in the same game – Apr. 5, 1995 against the Pittsburgh Penguins – as he scored a hat-trick. Leaving shortly there after, he played eight more seasons in Europe while suiting up for teams in Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

#4 Alexander Godynyuk

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected defenseman Alexander Godynyuk in the sixth round of the 1990 NHL Draft. Not overly large at 6-foot and 200 pounds, Godynyuk was nonetheless solidly built. He was touted enough that within seven NHL seasons he would suit up for four different teams. To some extent Godynyuk became more a victim of circumstance, as he never fully settled with one particular team. That being the case, he is arguably best remembered as being involved in one of the largest trades in NHL history.

Godynyuk would appear with the Maple Leafs for the first time during the 1990-91 season shortly after being drafted. In 18 games that season he recorded a mere three assists. He would follow that up with three goals and six assists 31 games the next season. Just as he was getting accustomed to NHL play, the Leafs traded Godynyuk with Craig Berube, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit and goaltender Jeff Reese to Calgary in exchange for Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour, defenseman Jamie Macoun, Kent Manderville, Ric Nattress and Rick Wamsley. Godynyuk would only suit up for 33 games across the season-and-a-half that he played for the Flames.

The NHL would add the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers for the 1993-94 season. Exposed in the expansion draft, the Panthers would claim Godynyuk. After getting a fresh start and generating a career high assist total – 10 helpers in just 26 games for Florida – he would surprisingly be moved again. The Panthers traded Godynyuk to the Hartford Whalers on Dec. 16, 1993 in exchange for tough guy Jim McKenzie. Finishing out the season with the Whalers, Godynyuk would have a career year of three goals, 19 assists and 22 points in 69 games.

Though he would spend a considerable amount of time in the minors during the the final three seasons of his NHL career, Godynyuk would play for Hartford from 1993-94 through 1996-97. His time as a Whaler would be his most time spent with any one NHL team. Of his 223 career regular season games, Godynyuk played 115 of them with Hartford. There was of course a brief period of time that both he and Chibirev were teammates with the Whalers.

1996-97 would be the last of his NHL time. Godynyuk would play an IHL season for the Chicago Wolves in 1997-98, but then wrapped up the last three seasons of his career playing in Switzerland and Germany.

#3 Alexei Ponikarovsky

Alexei Ponikarovsky was a big winger who possessed a scoring touch and sound penalty-killing capabilities. At 6-foot-4 and just shy of 230 pounds, the Maple Leafs came calling for his services when they drafted him in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Draft. He would debut with the team during the 2000-01 season, appearing in 22 regular season games.

Ponikarovsky would play only parts of the next two seasons in Toronto, while playing primarily for their AHL affiliate the St. John’s Maple Leafs. He would finally play his first full NHL season in 2003-04, appearing in 73 games and scoring nine goals and 19 assists in the process.

After the lockout cancelled the 2004-05 NHL season was when Ponikarovsky demonstrated his skill at being a power forward that could convert. From 2005-06 through 2009-10, he scored double digits in goals each season and had four seasons of at least 20 goals. He would set career highs of 23 goals, 38 assists and 61 points in 82 games for the Leafs during the 2008-09 season.

Looking to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Ponikarovsky from Toronto near the 2010 trade deadline. It would be an end to nearly a decade of the big Ukrainian being a member of the Maple Leafs organization. Picking up two goals after arriving in Pittsburgh, Ponikarovsky would hit the 20-goal mark for the final time in his career. Unfortunately for him the Penguins would not repeat as champions, and would be eliminated in the second round of the 2009-10 postseason.

The trade to Pittsburgh would lead to Ponikarovsky bouncing around the NHL for the remainder of his career. In the final three seasons that he played in North America, he would have stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. As a member of the Devils, Ponikarovsky came as close as he would ever come to winning a Stanley Cup. After New Jersey acquired him from Carolina partway through the 2011-12 campaign, he helped the Devils all the way to the Stanley Cup Final where they would ultimately lose to the Kings in six games. He would score a lone goal and eight assists while playing in all 24 of the Devils’ playoff games.

Ponikarovsky left the NHL following the 2012-13 season. He would finish out his career with five seasons in the KHL. In total, Ponikarovsky played 678 NHL games and scored 139 goals, 184 assists and 323 points in the regular season.

#2 Dmitri Khristich

Dmitri Kristich is certainly the most talented player on our list, and came really close to being at the very top. He is the all-time leader for goals, assists and points from a Ukrainian born and trained NHLer.

Khristich played in the Russian Superleague – the predecessor of the KHL – for his hometown club of Sokil Kiev from 1985-86 into 1990-91. Having won a silver medal for the Soviet Union at the 1988 World Junior Championship, the Washington Capitals drafted Khristich with the 120th overall pick of the 1988 NHL Entry.

Starting the 1990-91 season with Sokil, he would join the Capitals organization in December 1990. Khristich would have a 3-game stop with AHL’s Baltimore Skipjacks but spent most of his time with the parent club. He proceeded to score 13 goals and 14 assists in 40 regular season games for Washington.

Khristich would up those numbers exponentially in his first full NHL season. Playing in 80 games during the 1991-92 season, he set what would be career highs of 36 goals and 73 points. Khristich would play 10 more seasons in the NHL after that, including stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and a second stint for the Capitals.

He remained a productive player throughout his entire career as Khristich scored double digits in goals for 11 of his 12 NHL seasons. He had two 30-goal seasons and four 20-goal seasons. Khristich would be elected to the NHL All-Star Game in both 1997 and 1999. For the 1997 selection he was a member of the Kings and finished the season with 19 goals, 37 assists and 56 points in 75 games. He was a member of the Bruins in 1999 and ended setting a career high of 42 assists that season.

Opting to finish his career in Russia with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Khristich’s final NHL season was 2001-02 with Washington. In 811 NHL regular season games, he scored 259 goals, 337 assists and 596 points. The 811 games are the second most by a Ukrainian in NHL history. Khristich played in the postseason on nine separate occasions, but never made it beyond the second round.

#1 Ruslan Fedotenko

Ruslan Fedotenko is at the very top of our list. While he may not have been the prolific scorer that Khristich was in the league, Fedotenko found the most success of any Ukrainian in NHL history. He won two Stanley Cups in a career that lasted 12 seasons, and is one of the very few players to score a Cup-winning goal in the seventh game of the Final.

Having gone undrafted, the Philadelphia Flyers signed Fedotenko as a free agent on Aug. 3, 1999. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he was built like a tank and very responsible in his own zone. Factoring in an offensive touch, Fedotenko scored double digits in goals through his first 10 NHL seasons. His finest season offensively came in 2005-06 when he tallied 26 goals and 41 points – both career highs – in 80 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Where Fedotenko made the biggest name for himself though was in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He became one of those players who had average to above-average success during the regular season, but became a difference maker when the Cup was on the line. Perhaps starting off slowly in the earlier parts of the postseason, he would be at his finest in the semi and final rounds.

Fedotenko won his first Stanley Cup in the 2003-04 season with the Lightning. Scoring 12 playoff goals in 22 postseason games, he tied Conn Smythe-winning teammate Brad Richards for the team lead. Fedotenko’s seven even strength goals and whopping 27.9% for shooting-percentage were the best of the 2004 playoffs for any team. As the Lightning would defeat the Calgary Flames in Game Seven by a score of 2-1, the Ukrainian winger scored both of his team’s goals.

Following two more seasons with Tampa and a lone season with the New York Islanders, Fedotenko moved onto the Pittsburgh Penguins. There he became a two-time Stanley Cup champion for the 2008-09 season. Scoring seven goals and seven assists in 24 playoff games, Fedotenko tied with Bill Guerin for fourth in Penguins postseason goals behind Sidney Crosby (15), Evgeni Malkin (14) and Maxime Talbot (8).

Fedotenko’s final season with the Penguins would be 2009-10. He would played two seasons after that with the New York Rangers, before playing his final NHL season in 2012-13 with a second stint as a Flyer. Fedotenko finished his NHL career with 173 goals, 193 assists, and 366 points in 863 regular season games – the most games for any Ukrainian. Ultimately, it is his two Stanley Cup championships that place him at number-one on our list.

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The 5 Best Agitators in the NHL

By Alex Chauvancy on Sep 09, 2020 10:41 am

What does it take to be a good agitator in today’s NHL? Obviously, you must have the ability to get under the opponent’s skin, but you don’t want to be consistently putting your team at a disadvantage by taking silly penalties. You have to be able to annoy your opponent on the scoresheet as well and you certainly can’t be a waste of a roster spot. There are some players who have mastered the art of toeing the line of illegal and legal to find a way to get their opponents off of their games. Here are the five best at it in the entire NHL.

Nazem Kadri

For better or worse, Nazem Kadri has become one of the biggest pests in the NHL. He isn’t afraid to play a physical game, but that’s come with a cost. He’s faced five suspensions by the NHL since 2013 for behavioral issues, with his most recent one coming during the 2019 NHL playoffs against the Boston Bruins, where he was suspended for five games for a cross-check to Jake Debrusk.

When Kadri isn’t acting up, he’s a very effective two-way forward. And that’s why the Colorado Avalanche took a chance on him when they acquired him for Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot last offseason. He’s averaged 54 points per 82 games over the last three seasons and eclipsed 30 goals in 2017-18. His five-on-five scoring rates are that of a second liner, too, as he’s averaged 1.91 points per 60 minutes (P/60) since 2017-18.

Kadri has been a boost for an Avalanche team needing center depth behind Nathan Mackinnon. The price is having to deal with his lack of discipline. But there’s no doubt they’re a better team with him in the lineup. He can score and if he can play physically while being within the rules, the Avalanche are a tough out on most nights.

Andrew Shaw

Andrew Shaw’s regular-season production has never been that of Kadri’s, but he did hit new heights in 2018-19. He finished with 19 goals and 47 points in 63 games, the best production of his career. He always finds himself in front of the goalie and quite bravely so. At 5-foot-11, 179 pounds, Shaw isn’t a very big guy, but he sits and takes a beating in front of the net to make things happen for his team.

He’s not always doing legal things in the crease, but he certainly gets his point across. Another thing that hasn’t been confirmed is the biting of Victor Hedman in the Stanley Cup Final. If that happened, Shaw may have taken the “get under the opponent’s skin” expression a bit too literally.

Related: Meet the New (Old) Blackhawks: Andrew Shaw

Shaw’s underlying numbers are impressive as well and further adds to how frustrating an opponent he is. He takes a lot of hits but dishes them out at almost an equal rate. He draws more penalties than he takes at even strength, helping get his team to the power play. Once his team is on the man advantage, Shaw usually finds himself skating straight to the crease and impairing the vision of the goaltender. Like many agitators, he makes a living in front of the net and is a big reason why the Blackhawks re-acquired him last offseason.

Brendan Gallagher

Some might find Brendan Gallagher’s name on this list a bit surprising, but go ahead and YouTube some of his highlights real quick and you’ll know why he’s here. The Montreal Canadiens needed a pest to match their rival’s pest, who you’ll see further down this list. They have that in Gallagher. His added ability scoring-wise makes him better than Shaw as Gallagher is a consisten 50-point scorer. He’s no stranger to the agitator part of the game, either.

Gallagher can get under your skin and it is truly impressive what he can do with how small he is. At just 5-foot-9, he isn’t afraid of fighting or mixing it up with players bigger than him. He once tripped Zdeno Chara in the playoffs right before a faceoff and if Chara dropped the gloves, I don’t think Gallagher would have backed down. He’s always around the goal crease hacking away at players and goaltenders and just being a general menace. Every team in the league should want Gallagher on their roster due to his ability to bother opponents with his actions and his scoring talent.

Matthew Tkachuk

You might not think of someone who’s capable of totaling 70-plus points as an agitator, but that’s Tkachuk’s game. He’s not afraid to get in the dirty areas and cause havoc around the net. He has 302 penalty minutes since coming into the league, ranked first on the Calgary Flames. Tkachuk has also faced a handful of suspensions, including one for elbowing Drew Doughty in 2017.

Related: Matthew Tkachuk Is An Elite Agitator

Like Kadri, Tkachuk is a standout two-way forward. He’s averaged 1.99 P/60 at five-on-five, ranked fourth on the Flames since 2017. He’s fifth on the team in Corsi percentage over that stretch and has an expected goals percentage of 53.43%. Tkachuk is also a solid defender as he’s one of the team’s best shot suppressors. He does a bit of everything, which is why he’s one of the best young players in the league. And he hasn’t reached his full potential yet.

Brad Marchand

You had to figure we would be seeing his name at some point during this discussion. How do I know that Brad Marchand is a good agitator? He seems to enjoy bothering opponents, and he doesn’t always do it legally. He’s faced six suspensions from the NHL for a total of 19 games and is not a popular guy around the league thanks to some of those actions. Generally, his actions are pretty harmless, like when he started licking NHL players for some unknown reason. Much like Gallagher, he is a smaller player, but he doesn’t shy away from dropping the gloves.

Marchand is another one of those pests who hurts you on the scoreboard as well. He finished with 85 points in each of 2016-17 and 2017-18 and set a career-high this past season, with 100 points in 79 games. He plays a ton of shorthanded minutes for the Bruins and is quite productive in doing so, too. And with his offense reaching new heights, it’s safe to say he’s capable of inflicting the most damage from the NHL’s agitators.

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Ranking NHL Teams By Forwards

By Matthew Zator on Sep 09, 2020 10:18 am

• Ranking NHL Teams By Goaltenders

• Ranking NHL Teams By Defencemen

Last but not least, the forwards — the guys who get most the

goals and thus most the glory.

If you can’t score, you can’t win, so this position is as importantas any. It’s also as difficult to rank as any since there are 12 forwards inthe lineup compared to just six defencemen and only two goaltenders.

Depth is important but star power wins the day when it comes to forwards. Yes, teams have four lines, but they can lean on their top line or their top few forwards to prevail on any given night. However, to have success in the long run — to make the playoffs and have a chance at the Stanley Cup — teams typically need to roll four lines, so depth is definitely a factor in the big picture.

In the third of a four-part series ranking the NHL teams by position, here is how the forwards ranked after the 2019-20 season and 2020 postseason — counting down from No. 31 to No. 1.

31) Detroit Red Wings

Tyler Bertuzzi-Dylan Larkin-Anthony Mantha

Darren Helm-Valtteri Filppula-Dmytro Timashov

Brendan Perlini-Robby Fabbri-Luke Glendening

Justin Abdelkader-Frans Nielsen-Christoffer Ehn

Adam Erne/Joe Hicketts/Taro Hirose

UFAs: Sam Gagner, Turner Elson, Chris Terry, Matt Puempel, Kyle Brodziak

ANALYSIS: The Detroit Red Wings struggled to score goals this season and after trading Andreas Athanasiou to the Edmonton Oilers, they became even more starved for offence. They finished dead last in goals scored with 145 and posted a goal differential of negative-122. Their leading goal scorers were Bertuzzi with 21 goals and Larkin with 19 goals. Everyone else scored less than 16 and no one broke the 60-point plateau. That’s just not the recipe for regular-season success. If they hope to make any strides next season, they have to score more goals, period.

Fabbri and Zadina have the potential to score more and Mantha should rebound from an injury-riddled season, so there is a bit of a silver lining. Yzerman should be busy in the trade market and free agency because this team needs a jolt of offensive power from somewhere.

30) Los Angeles Kings

Alex Iafallo-Anze Kopitar-Dustin Brown

Trevor Moore-Gabe Vilardi-Jeff Carter

Adrian Kempe-Blake Lizotte-Martin Frk

Austin Wagner-Alex Turcotte-Michael Amadio

UFAs: Trevor Lewis, Tim Schaller

ANALYSIS: The Los Angeles Kings had a hard time scoring this season with only Kopitar breaking 20 goals and 60 points. The next forward up was Tyler Toffoli at 18 goals, but he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks around the trade deadline. After that only Carter, Brown, Iaffalo, and Kempe could break the 10-goal mark.

Basically goals were hard to come by for this team. Fortunately for them, they have a lot of solid prospects coming down the pipeline in Tyler Madden, Gabe Vilardi, Samuel Fagemo, and Rasmus Kupari. They also have the second overall pick in the upcoming draft and three second-round picks to help supplement them as well. Offence may be a struggle right now, but help is on the way very soon.

29) Columbus Blue Jackets

Liam Foudy-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Oliver Bjorkstrand

Nick Foligno-Boone Jenner-Cam Atkinson

Gustav Nyquist-Alexander Wennberg-Josh Anderson

Eric Robinson-Mikhail Grigorenko-Riley Nash

Nathan Gerbe/Devin Shore/Kevin Stenlund

IR: Brandon Dubinksy

ANALYSIS: After losing Artemi Panarin, Ryan Dzingle, and Matt Duchene to free agency, it was expected that the Columbus Blue Jackets would struggle to score goals. That’s exactly what happened as they finished 28th in goals for at the end of the season. They definitely have offensive talent with Dubois, Atkinson, and Nyquist, but they all did not produce a lot of goals.

Atkinson battled injuries and was only able to manage 12 goals after a 41-goal season and Wennberg only turned in which put pressure on Dubois to produce more, which he did not do. However he was a beast in the playoffs with four goals and ten points in ten games, so that should give fans hope for 2020-21. Other highlights included Bjorkstrand’s second straight 20-goal season and Foudy’s emergence as a speedy, offensive threat. So there is hope for offence in the future.

28) San Jose Sharks

Evander Kane-Logan Couture-Timo Meier

Marcus Sorensen-Tomas Hertl-Kevin Labanc

Joel Kellman-Noah Gregor-Alex True

Lean Bergmann-Antti Suomela-Dylan Gambrell

UFAs: Joe Thornton, Melker Karlsson, Stefan Noesen, Lukas Radil, Jonny Brodzinski, Anthony Greco

ANALYSIS: The Sharks are in need of a major overhaul in their forward ranks, especially in their bottom-six. Kane, Meier, Couture, Hertl, and Labanc produced well enough, but they got next to nothing from the bottom of their lineup this season.

In fact, no one broke 10 goals, and speaking of the top-six, their leading point-getter was Meier with 22 goals and 49 points. That’s just not good enough for a team that has aspirations of making the playoffs.

27) Anaheim Ducks

Sonny Milano-Ryan Getzlaf-Danton Heinen

Rickard Rakell-Adam Henrique-Jakob Silfverberg

Max Jones-Sam Steel-Troy Terry

Nicolas Deslauriers-Carter Rowney-David Backes

UFAs: Patrick Eaves, Blake Pietila, Kyle Criscuolo, Andrew Poturalski, Justin Kloos, Chris Mueller

ANALYSIS: The Anaheim Ducks’ days of being an offensive powerhouse are clearly over as they continue to rebuild their forward group. Their former leading man, Ryan Getzlaf, is on the decline with his second straight season under 50 points, Rakell turned in yet another campaign with less than 20 goals and only two players broke the 20-goal mark.

There were some bright spots as Henrique had his best season as a Duck and Silverberg posted his second straight 20-goal season. Late season acquisition Sonny Milano also showed some chemistry skating alongside Getzlaf, so that could be something to watch in 2020-21.

26) New Jersey Devils

Miles Wood-Nico Hischier-Kyle Palmieri

Nikita Gusev-Jack Hughes-Jesper Bratt

John Hayden-Pavel Zacha-Michael Mcleod

Jesper Boqvist-Travis Zajac-Joseph Anderson

UFAs: Kevin Rooney, Ben Street, Brandon Baddock

ANALYSIS: The Devils were supposed to be an exciting offensive team with loads of depth in 2019-20. That never happened, as Hall and Blake Coleman found new addresses by the end of the season, and first overall pick Jack Hughes struggled to grab a foothold in the league until later in the season and finished with only seven goals and 21 points.

Hischier had a career-low 14 goals and 36 points and their leading point-getter was Palmieri at 45 points. That’s how paltry the offence was in the swamp this season. Basically it was a disappointment all around after so much hope and excitement at the outset.

25) Arizona Coyotes

Lawson Crouse-Derek Stepan-Clayton Keller

Barrett Hayton-Christian Dvorak-Phil Kessel

Conor Garland-Nick Schmaltz-Christian Fischer

Michael Grabner-Michael Chaput-Vinnie Hinostroza

UFAs: Taylor Hall, Carl Soderberg, Brad Richardson, Markus Hannikainen, Beau Bennett

ANALYSIS: For a team that had the likes of Kessel and Hall, they sure didn’t do a lot of scoring. After coming over in trades with the Penguins and Devils respectively, everyone thought that they would push the Coyotes over the top offensively. That never really happened, as Garland finished as the leading goal scorer with 22 goals and no one else broke 20 goals.

The Coyotes did have eight players get into the double digits, but no one stood out as a premier goal scorer on this team. They were superb defensively and got great goaltending from Darcy Kuemper, but to make the playoffs and beyond, they have to get more consistent high-level scoring from at least a few of their forwards.

24) Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk-Colin White-Bobby Ryan

Rudolfs Balcers-Chris Tierney-Connor Brown

Anthony Duclair-Nic Paul-Drake Batherson

Artem Anisimov-Logan Brown-Jace Hawryluk

UFAs: Mikkel Boedker, Matthew Peca, Jordan Szwarz, Scott Sabourin, Morgan Klimchuk, Ryan Callahan, Clarke MacArthur

ANALYSIS: The Senators are a young team with a bright future, and despite being at the bottom in goal scoring, they have a lot of promising scorers either on the roster or in the pipeline. Tkachuk remained remarkably consistent with almost the exact totals as last season and Duclair re-emerged as a legitimate offensive threat with a career-high 23 goals, so there are some bright spots right there.

Throw in the fact that the Sens have three first-round picks in the 2020 Draft in October, the stable could be filled with even more talent in the coming months.

23) Buffalo Sabres

Jeff Skinner-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart

Dominik Kahun-Marcus Johansson-Victor Olofsson

Rasmus Asplund-Casey Mittelstadt-Kyle Okposo

C.J. Smith-Curtis Lazar-Jean-Sebastien Dea

UFAs: Wayne Simmonds, Michael Frolik, Jimmy Vesey, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, Scott Wilson, Dalton Smith, Taylor Leier

ANALYSIS: The Sabres once again started the season like gangbusters, then fell off a cliff at the end. The offence was backed solely by Eichel, Reinhart, and rookie sensation Victor Olofsson after Skinner fell drastically from his 40-goal campaign in 2018-19, finishing with a measly 14 goals. After him, only Girgensons broke double digits.

The depth that was touted at the beginning of the season did not come into play as Vesey, Sheary, Okposo, and Johansson never got into any offensive rhythm. With five regulars entering free agency, the Sabres will have some work to do to rebuild the offence and make Eichel happy after missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season.

22) Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg-Ryan Johansen-Viktor Arvidsson

Calle Jarnkrok-Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris

Austin Watson-Nick Bonino-Rocco Grimaldi

Yakov Trenin-Colton Sissons-Michael McCarron

UFAs: Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith, Colin Blackwell, Daniel Carr, Frederick Gaudreau

ANALYSIS: Similar to the Stars and Devils, the Predators were expected to score a lot in 2019-20. With forwards like Turris, Duchene, Johansen, Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Granlund, how could they not? On paper, they should have been a strong, deep team steeped in goals. Unfortunately, the game is not played on paper. Every one of those forwards struggled, save for Forsberg as defenceman Roman Josi led the team in points and the aforementioned Forsberg paced everyone in goals with 21. With all that talent, they should have scored more.

The Predators may have had a high ranking at the beginning of the season, but they have dropped drastically in these rankings. If they hope to have success in 2020-21 and beyond, at least a few of these players have to step up their game and put the puck in the net.

21) Calgary Flames

Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Elias Lindholm

Andrew Mangiapane-Mikael Backlund-Matthew Tkachuk

Milan Lucic-Sam Bennett-Dillon Dube

Mark Jankowski-Derek Ryan-Glenn Gawdin

UFAs: Tobias Rieder, Zac Rinaldo, Alan Quine, Buddy Robinson, Austin Czarnik, Byron Froese, Ryan Lomberg

ANALYSIS: The Flames were in the bottom half of the league in offence this season, mostly due to the decline in production from their top forwards. Monahan failed to hit 30 goals for the first time in two seasons and Gaudreau hit career lows in goals and points as well. Lindholm was the only bright spot on that line with a career-high 29 goals to his credit.

Mangiapane had a breakout season with 17 goals, and Dube had a strong postseason with four goals, but if the Flames are going to avenge the lack of a playoff appearance, their stars have to bounce back in a big way next season.

20) Minnesota Wild

Zach Parise-Eric Staal-Kevin Fiala

Like Kunin-Joel Eriksson Ek-Mats Zuccarello

Jordan Greenway-Ryan Donato-Kirill Kaprizov

Ryan Hartman-Victor Rask-Marcus Foligno

UFAs: Mikko Koivu, Alex Galchenyuk, Kyle Rau, J.T. Brown, Sam Anas, Colton Beck, Michael Liambas

ANALYSIS: The Wild were a middle of the pack team offensively in 2019-20, but most of their goals came from some aging veterans in Staal, Parise, and Zuccarello. They accounted for 59 goals and they are all over the age of 30. Fiala emerged as a star with 23 goals and 54 points in the regular season and three goals and four points in the playoffs, but he’s going to need some help in the future.

Koivu is clearly on the decline and is approaching free agency in a couple of months, so they will need someone to step in for him. Kunin, Greenway, Hartman, Eriksson-Ek all have potential, so goal scoring could see an uptick if one or two of them break out in 2020-21. In addition to that, potential superstar Kirill Kaprizov could be coming over from Europe, so there’s that to look forward to as well.

19) Montreal Canadiens

Tomas Tatar-Phillip Danault-Brendan Gallagher

Jonathan Drouin-Nick Suzuki-Joel Armia

Artturi Lekhonen-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Max Domi

Paul Byron-Jake Evans-Alex Belzile

Jordan Weal/Charles Hudon

UFAs: Dale Weise

ANALYSIS: The Canadiens had obviously resigned themselves to the fact that they were missing the playoffs in 2020, however, the NHL pause and subsequent play-in round format had other ideas. They ended up getting a chance to make the playoffs as the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference, then ultimately did after dispatching the Pittsburgh Penguins in four games.

That gave players like Suzuki and Kotkaniemi an opportunity to shine, and shine they did. By the end of the first round, they had combined for eight goals and 11 points, and Suzuki had taken over the number one center spot from Daneault. Kotkaniemi also rebounded from an otherwise uninspiring season to give fans hope that he could still be that solid second-line center they were hoping for when he was drafted third overall in 2018. All in all, the Canadiens have a bright future with them leading the way.

18) Chicago Blackhawks

Dominik Kubalik-Jonathan Toews-Brandon Saad

Alex DeBrincat-Kirby Dach-Patrick Kane

Alex Nylander-Dylan Strome-Drake Caggiula

Matthew Highmore-David Kampf-Ryan Carpenter

LTIR: Andrew Shaw, Zack Smith

UFAs: Anton Wedin, Joseph Cramarossa

ANALYSIS: Just like the Oilers, the Blackhawks were led by a dynamic duo. The familiar twosome of Kane and Toews were prominent again with 33 and 18 goals respectively and helped lead their team to a surprising playoff appearance against the Vegas Golden Knights.

24-year-old rookie Dominik Kubalik also surprised with 30 goals of his own, while DeBrincat fell off a bit with a somewhat pedestrian 18 goals after posting 41 goals in 2018-19. Even though Kane and Toews are 31-years-old now, they are still the prominent figures of this team. However, the young guns are starting to show some pop as Dach, Kubalik, Strome, Nylander and DeBrincat have shown some promising growth recently.

17) Winnipeg Jets

Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Patrik Laine

Nik Ehlers-Blake Wheeler-Andrew Copp

Jansen Harkins-Adam Lowry-Jack Roslovic

Kristian Vesalainen-Mathieu Perreault-Mason Appleton

IR: Bryan Little

UFAs: Cody Eakin, Nick Shore, Gabriel Bourque, Logan Shaw, Mark Letestu, Andrei Chibisov, JC Lipon, Seth Griffith

ANALYSIS: The usual suspects of Connor, Scheifele, Laine, Ehlers and Wheeler led the charge on offence for the Jets as they combined for 142 goals on the season. They faced some early adversity losing Brian Little only seven games into the season but managed to recover and punch a ticket to the postseason, where they were dispatched quickly by the Flames after losing Scheifle to injury one game into the series. Despite all that, their forward group had a successful season and will be around next season, unless the rumours of Laine being moved are true.

16) Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Connor McDavid-Josh Archibald

Andreas Athanasiou-Leon Draisaitl-Kailer Yamamoto

James Neal-Jujhar Khaira-Zack Kassian

Tyler Benson-Gaetan Haas-Alex Chiasson

Patrick Russell/Cooper Marody

UFAs: Riley Sheahan, Tyler Ennis, Markus Granlund, Tomas Jurco, Brad Malone, Josh Currie

ANALYSIS: The Oilers were once again led by the dynamic duo of Draisaitl and McDavid as they combined for 77 goals and 207 points. Their offence was top-heavy though, as Nugent-Hopkins was the only other forward to have a 20-goal season. Neal appeared to be a good acquisition from the Calgary Flames but bottomed out towards the end of the season after scoring all 19 of his goals before the calendar turned to 2020. In fact, he scored 11 of them in October alone, so he was not a consistent threat throughout.

Yamamoto had a solid season overall with 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games, but he was shuttled between the Oilers and Bakersfield Condors all season long. If the Oilers want to make a dent in the postseason, they need more scoring from players not named McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. They ultimately did not make it because of their lack of secondary scoring, as they only got three goals from them during their 3-1 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks.

15) Vancouver Canucks

J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson-Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson-Bo Horvat-Loui Eriksson

Antoine Roussel-Adam Gaudette-Brandon Sutter

Tyler Motte-Jay Beagle-Jake Virtanen

Micheal Ferland/Zack MacEwen

UFAs: Tyler Toffoli, Josh Leivo, Tyler Graovac

ANALYSIS: The Canucks ended up being a formidable group on offence, especially in their top-nine. Pettersson put up similar numbers to his rookie season, Horvat continued his consistency with another 20-goal season, and newcomer J.T. Miller had a career season with 27 goals and 72 points. Gaudette and Virtanen also contributed with some offence as well as they both broke double digits. If the season had continued, they probably could have had 20-goal seasons as well.

The offence spilled over into the playoffs as Pettersson, Horvat, and Miller scored 23 goals and 48 points between them and showed everyone why the league should pay attention to the Canucks in the future. If they can somehow manage to re-sign Toffoli to a budget-friendly deal after getting him in a trade with the Kings, they will be a force next season as well.

14) Dallas Stars

Mattias Janmark-Joe Pavelski-Alex Radulov

Jamie Benn-Radek Faksa-Blake Comeau

Jason Dickinson-Tyler Seguin-Corey Perry

Joel Kiviranta-Roope Hintz-Denis Gurianov

Andrew Cogliano

ANALYSIS: Despite the plethora of talent on the Stars’ roster, they had a difficult time scoring goals. They may be in the Western Conference Finals right now, but it’s not on the strength of their offence. They only had one 20-goal scorer in Gurianov and star forwards Benn and Seguin struggled throughout the season. Radulov, Pavelski and Perry also didn’t generate their usual offence either. In the end, that put a lot of the onus on their goaltender and defensive system, which worked out pretty well as they avoided the qualifying round and are three wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Even though the Stars struggled to generate offence during the regular season, they are getting some production from their top players in the playoffs as Benn, Pavelski, and Radulov have 20 goals between them. That along with their solid system and the power of Heiskanen and Klingberg is why they are in the position they are right now.

13) New York Islanders

Anders Lee-Matt Barzal-Jordan Eberle

Anthony Beauvillier-Brock Nelson-Josh Bailey

Derick Brassard-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Ross Johnston

Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

Leo Komarov/Andrew Ladd/Tom Kuhnhackl/Michael Dal Colle

ANALYSIS: With the addition of Pageau from the Senators, the Islanders boast a deep lineup with four centermen that can produce offence. It was evident throughout the season, and it’s continued to be in the playoffs as they find themselves in the Eastern Conference Final against the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning. Barzal continued his ascent into stardom with his second straight 60-plus point season and is a key reason why they are eight wins away from a Stanley Cup, as he already has 5 goals and 13 points in 16 games.

Nelson and Lee both posted their fifth 20-goal seasons and also have been key pieces in the playoffs as well with 14 goals between them. In fact, scoring has come from everywhere as seven players have three or more goals in the playoffs so far.

12) Carolina Hurricanes

Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen

Ryan Dzingel-Vincent Trocheck-Nino Niederreiter

Warren Foegele-Jordan Staal-Brock McGinn

Jordan Martinook-Morgan Geekie-Martin Necas

UFAs: Justin Williams, Max McCormick, Brian Gibbons

ANALYSIS: After signing an offer sheet with the Canadiens in the offseason, I’m sure many people wondered how Aho would perform this season with the Hurricanes. Judging by his stats, it never bothered him at all. He scored a career-high 38 goals in 68 games and was their best player once again. In four seasons in the NHL, he already has 121 goals and 263 points and he’s only 22-years-old. You can definitely see why the Canadiens took a chance at signing him.

As for the rest of the forwards, it was a young man’s game as the oldest player with 10 or more goals was Niederreiter at 27-years-old. Necas, Svechnikov, Teravainen, Foegele, and Wallmark are all under 25 and they all hit double digits in goals. They are clearly led by the fab-three of Aho, Svechnikov, and Teravainen, but they do have depth to spare as well.

11) St. Louis Blues

Jayden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Oskar Sundqvist

Zach Sanford-Ryan O’Reilly-David Perron

Sammy Blais-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas

Alex Steen-Ivan Barbashev-Jordan Kyrou

Jacob De La Rose/Mackenzie MacEachern/Niko Mikkola

IR: Vladimir Tarasenko

UFAs: Troy Brouwer, Jordan Nolan, Nick Lappin

ANALYSIS: The Blues were again a strong group offensively with two-way force Ryan O’Reilly leading the way with 61 points. They didn’t have Tarasenko for most of the campaign but still managed to finish just outside of the top ten in offence. Most of that had to do with the strength of their offence from the blueline, but they still ended with three 20-goal scorers and six players with ten or more tallies. They basically had four lines that could provide offence, even without the services of their top sniper.

10) Pittsburgh Penguins

Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Kasperi Kapanen

Jason Zucker-Evgeni Malkin-Bryan Rust

Jaren McCann-Nick Bjugstad-Patric Hornqvist

Brandon Tanev-Anthony Angello-Teddy Blueger

IR: Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon

UFAs: Conor Sheary, Patrick Marleau, Philip Varone, Adam Johnson, Riley Barber, Thomas DiPauli, Kevin Roy

ANALYSIS: Even though the Penguins bowed out in the qualifying round to the Canadiens, they still are the envy of the league when it comes to their forward group. With the recent re-acquisition of Kapanen from the Toronto Maple Leafs, they could be even more potent offensively. He will probably slot in where pending UFA Sheary used to be on the top line with Crosby and most likely score at least 25 goals. Though that’s next season, let’s get back to 2019-20. Crosby battled injuries again, but still managed to put up 47 points in 41 games, so he’s still producing at 32-years-old. Malkin posted his 11th season with 70 or more points, so no issue there either with him approaching his 15th season in the NHL.

As for the rest of the forwards, McCann had a solid second season with the Pens posting 14 goals and 35 points and even though Guentzel didn’t put up 40 goals, he still had his third straight 20-goal season. Overall, this group is still a threat to score and should be again in 2020-21.

9) Vegas Golden Knights

Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Mark Stone

Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith

Nick Cousins-Chandler Stephenson-Alex Tuch

William Carrier-Nicolas Roy-Ryan Reaves

ANALYSIS: The Golden Knights probably boast one of the more lethal top-sixes in the NHL. They may not have someone who will put up 90-100 points, but they have multiple players who can easily hit 50-60, and that can sometimes be even more dangerous in the end. They also have speed throughout their lineup and a top-six that can score at least 20 goals every single season. Pacioretty paced them with 32 goals, but each of them is capable of doing the same damage every single season.

Their bottom-six doesn’t score a bunch, but they can forecheck you to death and wear you down so that their top forwards can score at will. It’s a pretty sound system, and it’s one that has got them to the Conference Finals against the Stars. Unfortunately for the rest of the league, this team is not going anywhere anytime soon.

8) Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak

Jake DeBrusk-David Krejci-Ondrej Kase

Nick Ritchie-Charlie Coyle-Karson Kuhlman

Anders Bjork-Sean Kuraly-Chris Wagner

UFAs: Joakim Nordstrom, Ryan Fitzgerald

ANALYSIS: The Bruins have arguably the best top line in the league, and they proved it once again in 2019-20. Pastrnak led the NHL with 48 goals and the entire unit accounted for 107 goals and 238 points. I would say that’s pretty good for a top line.

They also got solid production from Debrusk, Coyle, and Krejci during the regular season and playoffs as they accounted for 11 goals in the postseason. With the perfection line going strong and the depth they have throughout the lineup, offence was not a problem in 2019-20 and will not be in 2020-21 either.

7) Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek

Joel Farabee-Kevin Hayes-Travis Konecny

James van Riemsdyk-Scott Laughton-Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Oskar Lindblom-Morgan Frost-Michael Raffl

UFAs: Tyler Pitlick, Derek Grant, Nate Thompson, Chris Stewart, Kurtis Gabriel

LTIR: Nolan Patrick, Samuel Morin

ANALYSIS: The Flyers were projected to have a strong top-six at the beginning of the season, and they did not disappoint. Konecny led the way with 24 goals and 61 points and Couturier was not far behind with 22 goals and 59 points of his own. Giroux declined a bit from the 85 points he generated last season, but still posted a solid 21 goals and 53 points. Overall, the offence flowed pretty freely for Vigneault in his first go-around in the City of Brotherly Love.

By the end of the season, Vigneault had eight players hit double digits in goals. He even had 19-year-old Joel Farabee contribute with eight goals in the regular season and three goals in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he could not get the same production from his top players as he only saw Giroux, Couturier, and Konecny score three goals between the three of them. Ultimately I think that’s why they could not get by the Islanders and into the Eastern Conference Finals.

6) Florida Panthers

Jonathan Huberdeau-Aleksander Barkov-Frank Vatrano

Dominic Toninato-Noel Acciari-Brett Connolly

Dryden Hunt-Lucas Wallmark-Colton Sceviour

Aleksi Saarela-Eetu Luostarinen-Owen Tippett

UFAs: Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov, Erik Haula, Brian Boyle, Danick Martel, Jack Rodewald, Joel Lowry, Paul Thompson, Ryan Haggerty

ANALYSIS: The Panthers did not have any trouble scoring this season as they boasted five 20-goal scorers and three others who hit double-digits. They were led by pending-UFA Mike Hoffman’s 29 tallies and another solid season from Huberdeau who put up 78 points. Barkov also continued to climb the ladder of elite centers with his fifth-straight campaign with 20 or more goals.

The Panthers also had some pleasant surprises with Acciari hitting 20 goals for the first time in his career and Connolly fitting in nicely after spending the last three seasons with the Capitals. Overall, they were a pretty lethal group offensively. However, with Hoffman and Dadonov entering free agency, they will have to make some tough decisions quickly or risk losing 54 goals out of their lineup.

5) New York Rangers

Artemi Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Buchnevich

Chris Kreider-Ryan Strome-Kaapo Kakko

Phil Di Giuseppe-Filip Chytil-Julien Gauthier

Brendan Lemieux-Brett Howden-Tim Gettinger

UFAs: Jesper Fast, Greg McKegg, Micheal Haley, Steven Fogarty, Vinni Lettieri, Danny O’Regan, Matt Beleskey

ANALYSIS: Panarin was everything and more for the Rangers this season, and was full value for the contract he signed in the offseason. He led them by a wide margin with a career-high 32 goals and 95 points in 69 games and was their best player night in and night out. Not far behind was Zibanejad, who also put up career numbers with 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games. They were quite the dynamic duo for the Blue Shirts.

Beyond them, they had five more players with ten or more goals and even though highly touted prospect Kaapo Kakko didn’t have the best rookie season, he still has the potential to be an impact player down the road. Throw in the fact that Alexis Lafreniere will most likely join the team next season, the Rangers will not have any problems scoring for the foreseeable future.

4) Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson

Jakub Vrana-Nicklas Backstrom-T.J. Oshie

Carl Hagelin-Lars Eller-Travis Boyd

Richard Panik-Nic Dowd-Garnet Hathaway

UFAs: Ilya Kovalchuk, Liam O’Brien

ANALYSIS: The Capitals boast one of the league’s better top sixes and have for years now. They displayed their firepower yet again this season with Ovechkin posting his third straight season with 40 goals or more and eclipsing 700 goals in his career. Oshie, Vrana, and Wilson put up 20-goal seasons, and Kuznetsov and Eller could have done the same if the season had finished with its usual 82 games. That’s how dominant their offence was again this season.

Kovalchuk joined the team later in the season to further supplement the offence, but couldn’t help them get over the hump that was the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. Despite the disappointment of not making it past the opening round for the second straight season, this team remains an offensive juggernaut capable of beating any team on any given night.

3) Colorado Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon-Mikko Rantanen

Andre Burakovsky-Nazem Kadri-Joonas Donskoi

Tyson Jost-J.T. Compher-Valeri Nichushkin

Matt Calvert-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Logan O’Connor

UFAs: Vladislav Namestnikov, Matt Nieto, Colin Wilson, Jayson Megna

ANALYSIS: The Avalanche can also put in a claim for the league’s top line as the dominant trio put up 75 goals and 178 points with MacKinnon leading the way with 35 goals and 93 points. They also got much-needed depth scoring from newcomers Kadri and Burakovsky who scored 39 goals between the two of them. Overall they actually got a lot of help from the rest of the forwards as six players eclipsed the 10-goal mark.

The scoring continued in the playoffs with MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog combined for 18 goals and 59 points while Kadri and Burakovsky stepped up with 16 goals and 35 points of their own. Unfortunately, they hit a wall with the Dallas Stars as they were eliminated in seven games after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. Regardless, their offensive power remains strong going into next season.

2) Toronto Maple Leafs

Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-William Nylander

Andreas Johnsson-John Tavares-Mitch Marner

Nicholas Robertson-Alex Kerfoot-Ilya Mikheyev

Pierre Engvall-Frederik Gauthier-Denis Malgin

UFAs: Kyle Clifford, Jason Spezza, Miikka Salomaki, Garrett Wilson, Tyler Gaudet, Matt Lorito

ANALYSIS: The Maple Leafs were a powerhouse offensively yet again with Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, and Marner leading the way. They finished third in goals for and boasted a 47 goal scorer in Matthews and a 31-goal scorer in Nylander. Tavares didn’t dominate, but he still put up his 11th straight campaign with 24 or more goals.

Next season the Maple Leafs will be without Kapanen, but solid debuts from Robertson and Mikheyev made that trade possible since one of them will be taking his spot in the lineup. Overall, this team is just a defence core away from contending for the Stanley Cup every season.

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

Ondrej Palat-Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov

Alex Killorn-Anthony Cirelli-Tyler Johnson

Barclay Goodrow-Yanni Gourde-Blake Coleman

Mitch Stephens-Cedric Paquette-Pat Maroon

Carter Verhaeghe/Mathieu Joseph/Alex Volkov

IR: Steven Stamkos

ANALYSIS: The Lightning remain the toast of the NHL when it comes to offence. They started the 2019-20 campaign first in offence, and end it the same way. Kucherov didn’t dominate the league, but he still put up a respectable 33 goals and 85 points.

Stamkos didn’t play every game and remains out in the playoffs, but he still put up 29 goals in 57 games. Beyond him, Point, Killorn, Cirelli, Palat, Gourde, Coleman and Johnson all eclipsed the 10-goal mark and were thorns in every team’s side throughout. The point is, this team just knows how to score from their top line, all the way to their fourth line. That’s why they are well on their way to punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

Recapping Forward Rankings

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Toronto Maple Leafs

3) Colorado Avalanche

4) Washington Capitals

5) New York Rangers

6) Florida Panthers

7) Philadelphia Flyers

8) Boston Bruins

9) Vegas Golden Knights

10) Pittsburgh Penguins

11) St. Louis Blues

12) Carolina Hurricanes

13) New York Islanders

14) Dallas Stars

15) Vancouver Canucks

16) Edmonton Oilers

17) Winnipeg Jets

18) Chicago Blackhawks

19) Montreal Canadiens

20) Minnesota Wild

21) Calgary Flames

22) Nashville Predators

23) Buffalo Sabres

24) Ottawa Senators

25) Arizona Coyotes

26) New Jersey Devils

27) Anaheim Ducks

28) San Jose Sharks

29) Columbus Blue Jackets

30) Los Angeles Kings

31) Detroit Red Wings

Feel free to disagree with those rankings and share your own in the comments below.

All depth charts taken from CapFriendly.com as of Sept 8, 2020

The post Ranking NHL Teams By Forwards appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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Flyers’ Top 20 Goal Scorers All-Time

By Johnny Berman on Sep 08, 2020 01:09 pm

Founded in 1967, the Philadelphia Flyers have been one of hockey’s most successful franchises over the last half-century. They have the third-highest all-time points percentage among NHL teams, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens and the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that has yet to play three full seasons.

This is the Flyers’ 52nd season. Unless the remainder of 2019-20 is cancelled, they will make the playoffs for the 40th time in franchise history, a playoff appearance rate of nearly 77%.

Related: Revisiting the Brayden Schenn Trade

The Flyers have also won two Stanley Cups and were the first expansion team to win the Cup. Clearly such a successful organization has had its fair share of goalscorers. Here are the Flyers’ top 20 all-time.

1. Bill Barber (420 goals)

One of 13 Flyers in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bill Barber is the leading goalscorer in franchise history. In his 12-year career from 1972-73 to 1983-84, he never scored less than 20 goals in a season. His best was 1975-76 when he scored 50 goals and 62 assists.

Barber was drafted by the Flyers and never played for another team. He helped lead the Flyers to their only two Cup victories. He was also a six-time All-Star and the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in his rookie year.

2. Brian Propp (369 goals)

Brian Propp was one of the greatest players to ever wear the orange, white and black. Though overshadowed in his day by players like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, and consequently denied a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Propp quietly amassed a 1,000-point career in Philly, Boston, Minnesota and Hartford.

He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Flyers, and notched four 40-goal seasons during this time. He was perhaps best known for developing his “Guffaw” goal celebration in the 1986-87 season. Propp certainly had no shortage of opportunities to let the Guffaw loose.

3. Tim Kerr (363 goals)

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 1980 by the Flyers, Tim Kerr would go on to have the the best goals-per-game average in franchise history. He scored 363 goals in just 601 games with the Flyers, a goal-per-game rate of over 60%.

Kerr is also one of six members of the Flyers’ 50-goal club. He scored at least 50 goals in four consecutive seasons from 1983-84 to 1986-87. He reached the 50-goal mark more times than any other Flyer in franchise history. Though Kerr played the final 54 games of his career with the New York Rangers and the Hartford Whalers, he is best remembered as a Flyer.

4. Bobby Clarke (358 goals)

The only reason why Bobby Clarke is not on the top of this list is because he was too busy setting up goals for his teammates. Clarke is the franchise leader in assists, with 852; no other Flyer has cracked 600. He is also the franchise leader in points (1,210), plus/minus (507), and several other categories. Oh, and he wasn’t too bad of a goalscorer either. His highest goal output came in 1972-73 when he scored 37.

As a nine-time All-Star, three-time Hart Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champ, Clarke was an easy inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. The former captain played the entirety of his 15-year career with the Flyers. He is not just the greatest player in franchise history; he is among the greatest in NHL history.

5. John LeClair (333 goals)

Though Montreal drafted John LeClair, they made the mistake of trading him to the Flyers during the 1994-95 season. He tallied at least 50 goals in each of his next three full seasons with the Flyers and represented Philly five times at the All-Star Game.

After joining the Flyers in 1995, LeClair helped end their five-year playoff drought. He then made sure they didn’t miss the playoffs again during his 10 years with the club. He played the final two seasons of his career in Pittsburgh.

6. Rick MacLeish (328 goals)

Rick MacLeish has to be one of the only players in NHL history to have 50 goals and 50 assists in a season and fail to make it to the All-Star Game. He may not have caught the attention of the selection committee that season, but he certainly caught the attention of opposing net-minders with his elite wrist shot.

Related: Flyers with 100-Point Seasons

He is also responsible for some of the most legendary stories in Flyers history. One time, he threw a bat into the penalty box. Another time, when his throat was cut by a skate blade, he only realized he was in trouble when smoke came out of his neck. MacLeish played his first 11 seasons in Philadelphia before finishing his career in Pittsburgh, Hartford and Detroit. He briefly returned to the Flyers for a second stint in 1983-84, his final season in the NHL.

7. Reggie Leach (306 goals)

After playing in Boston and California, Reggie Leach came to Philadelphia in 1974. He quickly became a focal point of the offense, and carried the Flyers during the 1975-76 season. He scored a franchise-record 61 goals during the regular season. He then added another 19 in the playoffs, including four against Hall of Famer Ken Dryden in the Final.

The Flyers were swept by the Canadiens in that Final series, but Leach was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. He is still the only skater in NHL history to be awarded playoff MVP without also winning the Stanley Cup. Leach played his final season in Detroit in 1982-83.

8. Eric Lindros (290 goals)

If Eric Lindros had made his NHL debut in almost any other year, he probably would have won the Calder Trophy with his 41 goals and 34 assists. Unfortunately, he had tough competition and lost to a player named Teemu Selanne. Nonetheless, Lindros received no shortage of accolades during and following his illustrious 13-year career.

Related: Flyers’ 50-Goal Scorers

Lindros was a seven-time All-Star and won the Hart Trophy in 1995. In 2016, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was included on the NHL’s ‘100 Greatest Players’ list. In 2018, he received the ultimate Flyers honor by having his jersey retired. After eight dominant seasons in Philadelphia, Lindros played his final five seasons in New York, Toronto and Dallas.

9. Simon Gagne (264 goals)

Simon Gagne was one of the best Flyers of the 2000s. Though hampered by injuries for a good percentage of his Flyers career, he pieced together several strong seasons in Philly. He even played in two All-Star Games. Gagne led the Flyers in goals in 2005-06, with 47 goals, and in 2006-07 with 41. At the time, it had been five years since a Flyer last scored 40 goals in a season.

After 10 injury-riddled seasons in Philadelphia, Gagne was traded to Tampa Bay in 2010. After that, he was frequently on the move, playing in Los Angeles, briefly returning to Philly and then concluding his career in Boston.

10. Claude Giroux (257 goals) 

The Flyers’ active goal-scoring leader, Claude Giroux, will not be 10th on this list for much longer. After being drafted by the Flyers in 2006, he has been the franchise’s best and most consistent player for the past decade.

At 32 years old, he has the chance to make a large dent in the Flyers’ record books. He already ranks second in assists in franchise history, and by the time he is ready to hang up his skates, he might just find himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

11. Rod Brind’Amour (235 goals)

Though he played the majority of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he is now the head coach, Rod Brind’Amour played his best hockey in Philadelphia. As a Flyer, he had four 30-goal seasons. His best season was in 1993-94 when he scored 35 goals and tallied 62 assists. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues and played two seasons there, before eight and a half seasons in Philly and nine and a half seasons in Carolina.

Related: Who Were the Broad Street Bullies?

Despite scoring nearly 1,200 points in his 20-year career, Brind’Amour has so far been snubbed by the Hall of Fame, (from ‘Will success as coach help Brind’Amour’s Hall case as player?’ News & Observer, 06/24/2019). Nonetheless, if he continues his success as a coach, he might find another way in.

12. Rick Tocchet (232 goals)

Another NHL head coach, and one-time teammate of Brind’Amour’s, Rick Tocchet began his playing career with seven and a half strong seasons in Philadelphia. He scored 122 goals over three seasons with the Flyers from 1988-89 to 1990-91.

Though he also played in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix he, fittingly, finished the last three years of his career in Philly. These days, Tocchet is coaching the Arizona Coyotes, a team for which he played three seasons.

12. Mark Recchi (232 goals)

The Flyers acquired Mark Recchi in a trade that sent Tocchet to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Interestingly, both players wound up scoring the same number of goals with the Flyers.

The Flyers then traded Recchi to the Canadiens for a trio of players including John LeClair. Recchi played well in Montreal, but LeClair played better in Philadelphia. In an attempt to get the better of the Canadiens again, the Flyers re-acquired Recchi four seasons later. Between all the trades, he pieced together a very strong 22-year career, which included a 53-goal campaign with the Flyers in 1992-93.

14. Wayne Simmonds (203 goals) 

Though he is still active, Wayne Simmonds will not move up this list unless he gets a second stint in Philadelphia. He came to the Flyers in 2011 as a key part of the package that sent Mike Richards to the LA Kings. Always flirting with stardom, Simmonds played eight strong seasons in Philadelphia and two that eclipsed 30 goals.

The Flyers sent him to the Nashville Predators at the 2019 trade deadline. This season, he played for the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres. With all this moving around, a second stint in Philadelphia might just happen.

15. Gary Dornhoefer (202 goals)

Though Gary Dornhoefer was not the Flyers’ best selection in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft (that honor goes to Bernie Parent), he still became an effective goalscorer.

Dornhoefer was initially signed by the Boston Bruins but spent most of the first four years of his career in the minor leagues. The Flyers clearly saw something in him that the Bruins did not, and he had five 20-goal seasons in Philly as a member of both Stanley Cup teams. Dornhoefer would never play for another team.

16. Ilkka Sinisalo (199 goals)

Ilkka Sinisalo is the Flyers’ leading European goal scorer in franchise history, though Jakub Voracek will likely claim this honor soon. Sinisalo had several strong seasons in the 1980s, but his best was in 1985-86 when he had 39 goals and 37 assists.

He is also the eighth-highest Finnish goal scorer in NHL history and helped pave the way for future Finns to join the NHL. Despite finishing his playing career with the Minnesota North Stars and the Los Angeles Kings, Sinisalo later returned to the Flyers organization as a scout.

17. Jeff Carter (181 goals) 

Jeff Carter was the Flyers’ top goal scorer from 2008-09 to 2010-11. In 2008-09, his 46 goals were second in the NHL only to Alexander Ovechkin’s 56. His 12 game-winning goals that season did lead the NHL. However, perhaps Carter’s best contribution to the franchise was the return they received on the deal that sent him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011.

The Flyers received Jakub Voracek, a first-round draft pick and a third-round pick. The first-round draft pick became Sean Couturier. Carter played only 39 games in Columbus before getting traded to the Kings, where he has since spent the bulk of his career.

18. Jakub Voracek (168 goals) 

Jakub Voracek will soon pass his trade-mate on this list. Since becoming a Flyer in 2011, Voracek has blossomed into one of the team’s top offensive players.

He passes more than he shoots, and he has never had more goals than assists in a season. Still, he can be counted on for roughly 20 goals each season. Voracek is also a key part of the Flyers’ power play. In 2014-15, half of his 22 goals came with the man advantage.

19. Dave Poulin (161 goals)

With two goals in his NHL debut in 1983 and another 31 in his first full season, Dave Poulin quickly proved he was a gifted goalscorer. Perhaps even more impressive were his defensive abilities, as he was a perennial candidate for the Selke Trophy. He took home the award in 1987, becoming just the second Flyer to do so.

After seven and a half seasons in Philly, Poulin played the final five and a half years of his career in Boston and Washington.

20. Scott Hartnell (157 goals)

When he wasn’t in the penalty box, Scott Hartnell was probably leading the offensive attack. He played the best seasons of his 17-year career in Philadelphia, where he was a two-time, 30-goal scorer, and notched at least 30 assists four times.

Hartnell’s kryptonite were penalties, averaging over 1.75 penalty minutes per game with the Flyers and finishing his career in 2018 with the 70th-most penalty minutes in NHL history. Hartnell played his first six seasons in Nashville before seven in Philly, three in Columbus and one more back in Nashville.

Honorable Mention: Sean Couturier

With 156 goals, Sean Couturier will be on this list in no time. The 27-year-old has played all nine seasons of his career in Philadelphia. He’s scored 86 goals in the past three seasons, and fans should expect a lot more from their star player.

The post Flyers’ Top 20 Goal Scorers All-Time appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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