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Thankful Series 2018-19

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Dallas Stars.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Stars most thankful for?

Having a top line that is among the top number one units in the league.  Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and Tyler Seguin have combined for an impressive 72 points in 74 games, a point-per-game rate that is even better than last season (0.97 vs 0.93).  They are the backbone of the attack in Dallas and will be for the foreseeable future.  Radulov has three years left on his deal after this one, Benn has six more following 2018-19, and Seguin inked an eight-year extension that kicks in next season just before training camp started.  Suffice it to say, the Stars won’t have to worry about their top line for a while, a luxury many teams don’t have.

Who are the Stars most thankful for?

Beyond that top line, defenseman Miro Heiskanen was hyped up as a potential number one blueliner when Dallas picked him with the third overall pick back in 2017.  In his first NHL season, the 19-year-old is already showing glimpses of that potential and has improved as the year has gone on while establishing himself as one of their top blueliners already; he’s averaging just shy of 23 minutes per game.  Not many teams have a young franchise defenseman in their system but the Stars are one of the ones that do and he’s already making a considerable impact.   That’s a huge piece of the puzzle in place for the long haul as he’s under team control for at least the next six years.

What would the Stars be even more thankful for?

Some secondary scoring beyond that top line.  Jason Spezza has rebounded fairly well after a bad 2017-18 campaign but it drops off considerably after that.  Beyond their top three forwards, no one else has more than five goals through 28 games so far this season.  Mattias Janmark scored 19 times last season but has just one this year.  Valeri Nichushkin hasn’t scored yet in 22 contests.  Blake Comeau is logging over 15 minutes a night of ice time and has just two goals in 27 games.  Getting some of these players going would go a long way towards bolstering their offense.  They’re one of the top teams in the league in terms of fewest goals allowed so if they can get a second line scoring consistently, Dallas could move up the standings pretty quickly.

What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?

If their current depth players can’t pick it up offensively, a scoring winger will be at the top of the list before too long.  On top of that, they’ll likely want to add some defensive depth given the uncertainty surrounding Stephen Johns and Marc Methot.  However, cap space is limited thanks to all of their injuries on the back end so GM Jim Nill may have to wait until closer to the trade deadline to make some moves.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

What are the Blue Jackets most thankful for?

There has been a dark cloud around the Blue Jackets at the start of the season with two of their best players suggesting they would rather be elsewhere (I’ll talk about that later) and then a significant injury to top defenseman Seth Jones, who tore a ligament in his knee during the preseason and missed the first month of the season. Throw in a disappointing season the previous year from players such as Zach Werenski, Alexander Wennberg, Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner and many wondered whether the franchise might take a step back this season.

Instead, the Blue Jackets have played quite well and stand in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a solid 15-9-2 record this season. Several players have stepped up and the team has gotten solid goaltending. With a solid defense and lots of offense, the Blue Jackets look like a team that will contend and hopefully can make a deep push into the playoffs as the franchise hasn’t gotten out of the first round since the 2008-09 season.

Who are the Blue Jackets most thankful for?

Not more than a year ago, Columbus handed Cam Atkinson a seven-year, $41.1MM extension and he responded with a disappointing season, posting a pedestrian 24 goals and 46 points, the lowest of his career since the 2014-15 season. With a number of veterans struggling after being handed long-term deals (Dubinsky, Wennberg), many wondered whether the Blue Jackets made a mistake when they inked the then 28-year-old to such a long extension.

Fast forward one year and Atkinson is proving his value with a banner season so far. He has already scored 16 goals and 27 points in 25 games and looks to be developing into a point-per-game player, which would blow away any previous career highs. His team-leading five power play goals and two short-handed goals prove he has become the team’s most valuable player on the team so far this season amongst a large number of big names.

What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?

While the team has got some secondary scoring, the team keeps hoping to turn some players’ careers around. The team signed Anthony Duclair to a one-year deal in hopes of developing him into the player everyone thought he would develop into. The Blue Jackets also had high hopes that Oliver Bjorkstrand would develop into a top-six player. While Duclair has already put up eight goals this season, he’s fallen into head coach John Tortorella’s doghouse and is has only scored one goal in the last eight games. Bjorkstrand, on the other hand, has struggled all year having scored just two goals along with two assists. Both are now fighting it out between each other for who gets a spot on Columbus’ third line. Hopefully, one of those player can distinguish themselves and take their game to a new level.

What should be on the Blue Jackets Holiday Wish List?

The team has a pair of major concerns on their roster with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky about to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. Both players have expressed a desire to play elsewhere, which could be devastating to the franchise. With the team unwilling to trade them off if they are in the hunt as the team values taking the team on a deep playoff run over trading them both off and rebuilding their roster again, there is a good chance the team will hold onto them. Panarin has expressed a desire to be in a bigger city, while Bobrovsky is looking for a record-breaking contract even bigger than that of Carey Price’s eight-year, $84MM deal that he signed last summer.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen hopes that a winning culture can convince each of them to remain with the team so the team can finally make a Stanley Cup run that the franchise needs for its fans. Even if the team can retain one of them, that would be a big boost for the franchise which would likely fall flat without both of them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Colorado Avalanche

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Colorado Avalanche. 

What are the Avalanche most thankful for?

The continued improvement. Last season the Colorado Avalanche had an incredible season, going from one of the worst teams in the league to just squeaking into the playoffs. Colorado found themselves matched up with the top team in the league in the Nashville Predators and while no one gave the Avalanche any chance to beat the powerhouse squad, but the team still managed to take two games from them. This year has only gotten better for the franchise as they are currently tied for first place with the Predators in the Central Division and have started to show that they have an impressive team that is only getting better.

Who are the Avalanche most thankful for?

Their top line. Colorado’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog was impressive last year, but they have only gotten better this year. MacKinnon, who had a breakout season last year after posting 39 goals last year, already has 18 goals and is on pace for an even bigger year. MacKinnon, the runner-up for the Hart Trophy, could take the award this year with the way he is playing as he has 41 points already and he’s not even at the half-way point of the season.

Rantanen already has 11 goals and 43 points in just 26 games as he’s on pace for an even bigger season. He could be one of MacKinnon’s biggest challengers for the Hart Trophy if the 22-year-old continues to play the way he has. Landeskog, on the other hand, is playing well with 15 goals already, which likely has him headed for a career-high. While they were a very good line a year ago, the pairing has become one of the top lines in the NHL now. With Landeskog only being 26 and the veteran of the group, the line could be together for a long time.

What would the Avalanche be even more thankful for?

Secondary scoring. One of the team’s biggest problems is getting more scoring from its other lines. Many people felt that Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher might step up as well as other players, including Alexander Kerfoot and Colin Wilson. While they each have made some contributions, none of them have taken the next step. Jost has shown to be impressive when moved to the second line, yet he has just four goals and 10 points this season. Compher could be the answer, but has been out with a head injury. However, he has seven goals in the 10 games he’s played this year. Kerfoot has 18 points in 26 games, but only four of those are goals, while Wilson has seven goals and 10 points in 26 games.

The team needs one or two of these players (and preferably everyone) to take that next step and start providing the team with secondary scoring so when the first line gets shut down, the team doesn’t get shutout.

What should be on the Avalanche’s Holiday Wish List?

A young impact player. The team is quite young, but there is more talent on the way. The team could get a significant boost from 2017 first-round pick Cale Markar. The 20-year-old defenseman has been lighting up the college scene this year with the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. After posting respectable numbers as a freshman of five goals and 21 points in 34 games for the Minutemen, he has already topped those numbers in just 13 appearances. He already has six goals and 18 points with more than half a season to go. If the team can convince him to turn pro after the season, there is a good chance the fourth-overall pick could step right onto the ice during the stretch-run of the season and give the team another impact player on their defense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Chicago Blackhawks

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Chicago Blackhawks. 

What are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Cap space.  Unlike recent years, they actually have some thanks to their offseason dealing of Marian Hossa’s contract to Arizona.  The start of this season hasn’t gone well – they’re near the bottom of the league in goals allowed, sit in sixth place in the Central Division (St. Louis could pass them if they win their games in hand), and have let long-time bench boss Joel Quenneville go.  In previous years, they’d basically be stuck with what they have but since they sit more than $3MM under the Upper Limit per CapFriendly, GM Stan Bowman has the flexibility he has lacked to try to make in-season upgrades to his roster that should provide Chicago fans with a little bit of hope.

Who are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Offense has been an issue for several core Blackhawks this season but Patrick Kane isn’t one of them.  He has played at a greater than 40-goal pace through the first 25 games of the season while he’s on pace for the second-highest point total of his career.  Yes, his contract is onerous with a $10.5MM cap hit but as long as he continues to produce like this and be among the league leaders in points (he’s tied for 12th heading into Friday’s games), he’ll be living up to the deal.  After a quieter 2017-18 campaign, he’s off to a much better start.

While Chicago is a veteran-laden team, they do have some young players making a notable impact.  Among those is Alex DeBrincat whose sophomore year has gotten off to a strong start as he’s ahead of his scoring pace from his rookie campaign.  It wouldn’t be surprising for Bowman to only look to make short-term additions with his cap space this season to make sure he has plenty of money available to extend DeBrincat’s deal as early as this coming summer.

What would the Blackhawks be even more thankful for?

Good goaltending, something they simply haven’t had a lot of.  Cam Ward has shown that Carolina made the right decision letting him go as he’s allowing more than a full goal per game more than last season while his .890 save percentage is his worst since his rookie year.  Corey Crawford hasn’t fared much better.  Granted, there was bound to be some rust after missing the better part of a year but his numbers are the worst of his career as well.  If Chicago plans to get back into the playoff picture, they’ll need to get a much better performance from his goaltenders.

What should be on the Blackhawks’ Holiday Wish List?

Everything needs to be on the table here.  They’re committed to giving Dylan Strome a look as their second line center but if he struggles, they’ll probably be on the lookout for help down the middle.  Shoring up their defense would go a long way towards helping their goaltending while if Ward continues to struggle, they may have a move to make there as well beyond giving Anton Forsberg or Collin Delia a look.  There’s money to work with but a lot of holes to fill as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes. 

What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Various struggles from the entire Metropolitan Division.

Big things were expected out of the Carolina Hurricanes after some bold moves in the last calendar year, including new ownership, front office and coaching staff. Key players like Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin were all shipped out while fresh faces like Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton joined the lineup. Even with all of that and a nice five-game point streak to start the year, they finished their first 15 games with a 6-7-2 record caused by many of the same stumbling blocks they’d experienced in the past.

Goaltending wasn’t as good as it needed to be, the solid defensive group was underperforming and the team wasn’t scoring enough despite excellent shot metrics. They’ve since gone on something of a hot streak, winning six of their next nine and head into their last game of November with a 12-9-3 record. That’s not outstanding, but it’s certainly good enough to keep them in the hunt at this point of the season. Every other team in the Metropolitan Division has experienced their own struggles, including the Pittsburgh Penguins who at one point found themselves at the very bottom of the division. Carolina now sits just four points behind the Washington Capitals for top spot, something that would have seemed impossible during the previous dominant Metropolitan years.

Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Curtis McElhinney.

There’s no doubt that Sebastian Aho has been the team’s early MVP, recording 25 points in 24 games to pace the offense while moving to the center ice position without any trouble. Aho is an exceptional talent that looks like he can be a true superstar for the Hurricanes, but he was drafted and developed by the team. Who they’re truly thankful for, is McElhinney who dropped into their laps just before the season started when the Toronto Maple Leafs placed him on waivers.

Though he has looked shaky at times, McElhinney has been everything the Hurricanes could have hoped for when they picked up for free to help out while Scott Darling dealt with injury to start the year. The 35-year old goaltender now has a .930 save percentage through his nine appearances and leads the trio of Carolina goaltenders with a 7-2 record. Seeing how Darling and Petr Mrazek have combined for an .887 save percentage and 5-7-3 record, it’s easy to see where the team would be without McElhinney on the roster.

What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?

A resurgent Jordan Staal.

Despite Aho moving to the middle and performing admirably, the center position has still been a struggle for the Hurricanes this season. Victor Rask has only played four games because of a kitchen accident that injured his hand, and Lucas Wallmark can’t seem to find the back of the net to save his life—his 1.9% shooting percentage is one of the worst in the league among regular forwards. Even accepting those issues as flukes that could resolve themselves, the issue of Staal may have the biggest impact.

The 30-year old center has just 11 points in his first 24 games of the season and is on pace for his lowest total (38) in a full season since he was 19. A huge part of that is his lack of powerplay production, where he has just a single assist and no goals despite averaging more than two minutes with the man advantage. It’s not that Staal is a net negative for the Hurricanes, as his defensive ability is still excellent and he’s among the best in the league at faceoffs, but they absolutely need more offensive production from him given his price tag. Staal carries a $6MM cap hit this season, and will continue to do so through the 2022-23 season.

What should be on the Hurricanes’ Holiday Wish List?

Forward help, in one way or another.

Since they’re already carrying three goaltenders, one of whom makes more than $4MM per season and is under contract for another two years, there seems little chance of the Hurricanes making a big splash in net. Accepting that, the best place for them to upgrade would be up front, whether that’s on the wing or at center. The team has been generating more than enough scoring chances through the first quarter of the season, but with the exception of Micheal Ferland and his 11 goals, they haven’t been able to convert nearly enough.

It sounds funny after an offseason in which they sent Jeff Skinner packing—the red-hot Buffalo Sabres forward has 19 goals in 25 games—but Carolina could really use a pure finisher to help them on the powerplay and give their forward group a little more swagger. Svechnikov looks like he might eventually become that, but relying on an 18-year old to take a jump like that in the second half of the season is more than a little risky. They don’t need another Alex Ovechkin—though, they certainly wouldn’t turn one down—but someone to complement their stable of playmakers could go a long way in pushing them further along in the playoff race.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Calgary Flames

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Calgary Flames. 

What are the Flames most thankful for?

A high-powered attack that not many people saw coming.  Calgary has been well-known for its defensive depth and to be fair, they still have a pretty deep back end.  However, some offseason movement and a new head coach have helped the Flames boast the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference (tied with Nashville).  Considering they were in the bottom five in that department last season, this has been a very impressive turnaround and has helped lead them to first in the Pacific Division so far.

Who are the Flames most thankful for?

After being a player that has typically put up roughly 40 points per season, Carolina opted to part ways with Elias Lindholm and dealt him (along with Noah Hanifin) to Calgary at the draft.  The Flames thought Lindholm may still have some untapped offensive potential and so far, they’ve been proven right.  He is already halfway to his career-high in points with 23 through his first 24 games while leading all Calgary forwards in ice time per game.  While some viewed Hanifin as the centerpiece of the trade, Lindholm has stepped in and given their top line the fit that they’ve been missing in recent years.

Matthew Tkachuk has largely flown under the radar with the number one line drawing most of the attention.  However, he is tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 goals and 15 assists through 24 games.  He’s setting himself up for a significant raise as a restricted free agent this summer.

What would the Flames be even more thankful for?

Mike Smith playing like the goaltender he has in the past.  The 36-year-old had a decent first year with the Flames last season but his performance this year has been rather disastrous.  He has just a .883 save percentage, a career low while ranking 47th out of 50 qualifying goaltenders.  A strong start from David Rittich has helped offset that somewhat but if Calgary wants to remain where they are in the standings, they’re going to need Smith to at least get back to league average territory.

James Neal was another key acquisition over the summer, inking a five-year, $28.75MM contract but he has failed to live up to it.  He has just three goals so far in 24 games and him rediscovering his scoring touch would make their attack that much deeper.

What should be on the Flames’ Holiday Wish List?

For the time being, they’ll keep Smith and hope that he can eventually round back into form.  If that doesn’t happen, they’re going to have to venture into the trade market and try to find a replacement.  They don’t have a lot of cap space to work with so they’d be wise to save what they have for now to potentially give them more options if they have to go after a goalie.  If Smith returns to form, adding a checking forward that can help on the penalty kill would be a good idea as that has been an area of concern through the first quarter of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Buffalo Sabres

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Buffalo Sabres. 

What are the Sabres most thankful for?

Can Sabres’ fans be any more thankful for the fact that the team, the same team that finished last in the standings one season ago, is currently in first place in the entire NHL with 34 points. That may be short lived as several teams just beneath them play before the Sabres go for their 10th straight win on Tuesday, but few could have predicted the success for second-year general manager Jason Botterill and head coach Phil Housley this season.

The Sabres shook up their entire roster from a year ago and made critical additions at every level, which included adding Jeff Skinner to their top line on offense, adding a number of solid players to their depth chart including Vladimir Sobotka, Patrik Berglund, Casey Mittelstadt, Conor Sheary and Tage Thompson, while adding 2018 first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin (who has been as good as advertised) on defense. That doesn’t include the team’s success in goal. Those moves have stabilized the team’s defense as they ranked sixth in the league in goals against this year as well as having one of the best penalty killing units in the league as well.

Who are the Sabres most thankful for?

While it would make sense to put Skinner and his 18 goals in this spot, we can save him for later. The tandem that has really impressed this year has been the play of the Sabres goaltenders Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark. The team, which struggled a year ago with Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson has thrived this year. Much of that could be the improvement of the team’s defense, but at the same time both goalies have been better than anyone had expected.

While Hutton was the top goaltender on the market this offseason, most people felt that Hutton was not capable of being a No. 1 goaltender, often comparing him to Carolina’s Scott Darling. However, Hutton has been better than advertised, already netting 11 wins and posting a solid 2.53 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 18 appearances. The untested Ullmark also has looked good, although the team has been careful to not overwhelm the 25-year-old. However in five appearances, he’s also posted a 2.52 GAA and an even more impressive .926 save percentage.

What would the Sabres be even more thankful for?

More production from their youth. The team is very young and is loaded with talent at the AHL level as well. And while players like Dahlin have been impressive, the team could take another step in the right direction if they can develop some of their young core even quicker. Dahlin has played well sharing No. 1 defenseman duties with Rasmus Ristolainen, but he’s capable of even more. The team has gotten just four goals from Mittelstadt and would like to see him develop into a consistent presence in the top six at some point.

Others like Thompson, who has suddenly starting showing off some offense with three goals in his last four games, as well as Evan Rodrigues need to continue to develop as well to allow the team to reach peak efficiency both now and in the future. The team is also loaded with a number of prospects including defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Brendan Guhle, while they have several potential options at forward as well in C.J. Smith, Daniel O’Regan and Alexander Nylander waiting for an opportunity.

What should be on the Sabres’ Holiday Wish List?

The team has made it clear they intend to work on an extension with Skinner next month, but the team really needs to make sure it can lock down the 26-year-old who leads the team in scoring this year and is only six goals away from beating his 24 goals from last season with Carolina. Skinner’s deal will be the main contract the team must deal with this offseason as the team has just three unrestricted free agents (Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson being the others). Skinner’s pairing with Jack Eichel has produced a powerful top line in the NHL and should only get better as the two continue to get comfortable with each other.

With the expiring contracts of Moulson and Pominville, although the team may want to attempt to retain the latter, there should be plenty of money to lock up Skinner now, so they won’t have to worry about him losing him this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins. 

What are the Bruins most thankful for?

Defensive depth.  To say that Boston has been hit hard with injuries on their back end would be a significant understatement as no fewer than eight different blueliners have missed multiple games.  Despite that, they find themselves in sole possession of the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference despite icing a defense corps with several minor leaguers as a result of the injuries.  That has them well-positioned to make a run to move up as their regulars return while also giving GM Don Sweeney (and other general managers around the league) a chance to evaluate the development and readiness of some of their younger defenders.

Who are the Bruins most thankful for?

Goaltender Jaroslav Halak was brought in to give them a capable backup that could push Tuukka Rask for starts.  It’s safe to say he has provided that and more so far.  The 33-year-old has vastly outperformed Rask in the early going and has essentially taken over the number one role by posting a stellar 1.98 GAA and a .939 SV%.  Halak has been a significant reason why the Bruins, despite all of their injuries on the back end, have allowed the fewest goals in the league.  His two-year, $5.5MM contract that he signed back in July is proving to be a real bargain so far.

The team also has to be thankful for having one of the elite top lines in the league.  David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Patrice Bergeron have been dominant once again, all averaging over a point-per-game.  (Unfortunately for the Bruins, this line will be out of commission for a while with Bergeron expected to miss the better part of a month due to a rib and sternoclavicular injury.)

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

More production from their secondary scorers.  On top of their top three forwards, David Krejci has 17 points which is solid but just two of those are goals.  Jake DeBrusk rounds out their top-five scorers up front with 11 points (though only two of those are assists).  After that, however, it drops rather quickly with no other attacker having more than five points.  They were hoping that youngsters Danton Heinen, Anders Bjork, and Ryan Donato would be regular contributors but the trio have combined for just four goals and five assists in 50 games combined with Donato getting dispatched to the minors.  David Backes has just a single helper in 17 contests which is a terrible return for $6MM per year.  Sweeney paid a high price last year to land Rick Nash to boost their attack but they would be a lot better off if some of these scuffling players started to shoulder more of the offensive load.

What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?

First and foremost, they need more scoring depth.  They have been on the lookout for help up front (with a preference for a center) dating back to the start of the season and adding someone would boost their middle six while ideally helping some of their struggling forwards get back on track as well.

Given the injuries they’ve had on the back end, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Sweeney to look to add a veteran defenseman that could be stashed at AHL Providence to give them a little bit more insurance if they happen to have more injury woes as the season goes on.  That way, they won’t necessarily have to call on players that aren’t quite NHL ready if they find themselves in need of help while jockeying for playoff seeding down the stretch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Arizona Coyotes

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Arizona Coyotes.

What are the Coyotes most thankful for?

The weak start by almost the entire Pacific Division.

Despite sitting at 9-9-2 through their first 20 games and currently holding down seventh spot in the division, the Coyotes are by no means out of the playoff race at this point. In fact, they sit only seven points behind the division-leading Calgary Flames with two fewer games played, and are one of only three teams without a negative goal differential. The Coyotes haven’t played anywhere near their best through the first two months of the season, but still sit in prime position to battle for the postseason because of the middling efforts from former playoff teams like Anaheim, Vegas and Los Angeles.

Who are the Coyotes most thankful for?

Darcy Kuemper.

Anyone that did project the Coyotes to be competitive this season did it with one huge caveat: Antti Raanta must stay healthy. That hasn’t happened through the first quarter of the season, and Kuemper has been forced to start 11 of the team’s 20 games. He’s 4-5-2 in those games, but his .914 save percentage has been more than good enough to keep the Coyotes’ head above water as they await the return of their star goaltender. Raanta was activated off injured reserve today, and if he can return to form immediately the Coyotes actually may have one of the best tandems in the entire league.

While Raanta has the ability to contend for the Vezina Trophy, there’s no doubt that Kuemper will be needed again at some point this season. The 28-year old has now done nothing but provide solid backup play at three Western Conference stops, recording save percentages of .910, .932 and .907 in Minnesota, Los Angeles and Arizona respectively.

What would the Coyotes be even more thankful for?

A little bit of shot luck, and a healthy defense.

It’s a good thing the Coyotes have received solid goaltending from Raanta and Kuemper, because they aren’t scoring enough to win games 6-5. The team has just 50 goals on the season through 20 games, and is shooting a near league-worst 7.9%—only Carolina and Los Angeles are below them. Young forwards like Dylan Strome, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer and Lawson Crouse are all shooting under 10% on the season, while the entire defense corps has only combined for five goals.

That defense is where the real issue has been lately, as for a while the team was without Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun, three of their top four options. While Demers is out for the rest of the season, the other two are back in action and should help the team moving forward. Perhaps they can even chip in a goal or two while the forward group figures out how to put the puck in the net.

What should be on the Coyotes’ Holiday Wish List?

Secondary scoring.

There are lots of teams looking to balance out their forward group with an acquisition or two this season, but luckily there are plenty of options expected to be on the market come the start of 2019. Even with the New York Rangers doing better than expected there will likely be one or two veteran names on the move out of Madison Square Garden, while the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings could be in fire sale mode by February. It’s not very likely that the Coyotes go after any of the big expensive names, but adding a few wingers who can lengthen out their forward group could do them a world of good down the stretch.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Anaheim Ducks

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Anaheim Ducks.

What are the Ducks most thankful for?

The resiliency of their healthy players.  To say Anaheim has been hit hard by injuries so far this season would be an extreme understatement.  More than half of their roster has already missed time to an ailment or two and through the first quarter of the season, they had missed a whopping 130 man-games due to injury.  That many injuries to that many key players (including Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Cam Fowler, and now Hampus Lindholm) can derail the fortunes of a team in a hurry.  Instead, the Ducks find themselves third in the Pacific Division and in a playoff spot.  Considering everything they’ve gone through, that’s a pretty good accomplishment even if there have been some other teams that have underachieved thus far.

Who are the Ducks most thankful for?

For a team to have this many injuries and still be in a playoff spot, the goaltending needs to be at the top of its game.  That has been the case thus far as John Gibson has posted a .927 save percentage through his first 18 starts, good for a tie for sixth in the league among qualifying netminders.  He has faced the second-most shots of any goaltender in the NHL and has provided them with top-level goaltending most nights.  Ryan Miller also deserves some credit as his numbers are only slightly off of Gibson’s and are among the best among backup goaltenders.

In terms of skaters, Lindholm was off to a really good start before his injury.  Anaheim was asking him to play extremely heavy minutes (25:29 per night, more than three and a half minutes above his career average) and he showed he was up to the task.  With him and Fowler now out, Josh Manson and Brandon Montour are going to have to pick up even more of the slack.

What would the Ducks be even more thankful for?

Beyond staying healthy, their top players being productive.  While Getzlaf has hovered near the point-per-game mark, Rickard Rakell is off to a very slow start with only three goals on the campaign after seasons of 34 and 33.  Adam Henrique produced close to a 30-goal pace after being acquired last year but has just five goals so far.  Pontus Aberg, a waiver claim at the end of training camp (who later cleared waivers with Anaheim before being recalled in mid-October) is tied for the team lead in goals with six.  Not surprisingly, this team is really struggling to score and that’s going to need to change sooner than later if they want to stay in a playoff spot.

What should be on the Ducks’ Holiday Wish List?

Adding a top-six forward would really go a long way towards stabilizing their attack in the short-term and deepening their depth if and when their forward group gets fully healthy.  However, with extremely limited cap space to work with, GM Bob Murray is going to have to get creative to find a way to bring one in.  In the short-term, it wouldn’t be surprising if he targets an underachieving player in need of a change of scenery in the hopes of getting a small uptick in scoring that way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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