The salamehockey.com site administrators, over the course the next few weeks, will be taking a look at each team’s roster and analyzing the likely scenarios for keepers and re-signs for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
TEAM: CRAZY8
GM: ANTHONY CAMPANELLA
FORWARDS
KEEPERS
1. Joe Thornton, Sharks – Big Joe has consistently been an elite producer in the regular season until a small blip in the timeline occurred in 2011. With the San Jose depth catching up to the former ‘big line’ of Heatley, Thornton and Marleau, much more of the team scoring was done by the likes of resurgent players in Ryane Clowe, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Devin Setoguchi, among others. With that production across the board, the Thornton line’s responsibilities diminished, and so did overall production. Nevertheless, after what seemed like an interminable slump, San Jose’s numbers jumped in the second half, and despite the rough start, Thornton finished the season with 70 pts in 80 games. He is often going to put up at minimum 80 pts, and will often flirt with 90-100, and more of the same can be expected.
2. Loui Eriksson, Stars – Eriksson took his consistency to another level in 2011, replicating his 2010 performance with 73 pts in 79 games. Named the most underrated player in the NHL by his peers, the young Swede showed that his top line talent cannot be forgotten. Eriksson’s speed, scoring touch and work ethic make him a vital part of the Stars attack, and he will likely be able to replicate this scoring touch alongside another budding centerman in Jamie Benn in the event that Brad Richards departs the Dallas organization. Expect 70+ pts.
3. Mike Ribeiro, Stars – alongside Brenden Morrow and the mercurial Jamie Benn, Ribeiro saw another successful campaign as a top six centerman. Now having notched a third 70+ pt season, he is a legitimate threat to continue his production through his prime, and given the opportunity he will have if Brad Richards indeed decides to sign elsewhere. Amongst the top six in Dallas, Ribeiro will continue to put up 70 pts per season with upside in the 80 range, a feat he has hit before and can do again if paired with the right wingers.
4. James van Riemsdyk, Flyers – JVR progressed in his sophomore campaign, putting up 40 pts in 75 games, and doing so while shifting throughout the lineup’s second and third lines. While the Philadelphia depth continues to stifle all their forwards’ upsides, some have broken through despite this ice time spread (see Giroux, Claude), and JVR seems primed to be the next in line. His performance as an all-around forward in the 2011 playoffs did not go unnoticed, and JVR is primed to likely break out in his third year as an NHLer. He has the talent, size and potential opportunity to do it, now only time will tell if the young American has the drive to deliver on his former 2nd overall pedigree. Expect a breach over 50 pts, as the budding power forward begins to hit his stride.
5. Martin Havlat, Wild – Havlat got off to a hot start in 2011, on pace for nearly 75 pts in his first 40 games, only to slow down and top off the year with 62 in 78 games. He has shaken the old label of injury prone by playing more carefully, and can now be relied upon to compete in roughly 75-80 games per season as he has done so three years straight. Havlat is skilled, big and has the pedigree to put up big pts, and has done so before (77 pts with the Blackhawks in 2009), but as he no longer figures to be part of that successful team and has little offensive support in Minnesota, he can expected to put up 60-70 pts going forward.
6. Milan Lucic, Bruins – Lucic fits the 4th year breakout rule well, by having built on previous seasons’ point totals and becoming a cult hero in the Boston area with his physicality and offensive contribution, totalling 62 pts in 79 games to finish the 2011 season. He has found good chemistry with David Krejci and Nathan Horton on Boston’s top line, and with it, will likely produce more of the same as he enters his prime. At only 22, he has the opportunity and talent to put up 60+ pts and flirt with 70 in his best years.
7. Tyler Seguin, Bruins – while some might say the Taylor or Tyler debate is now over, it was always known that Hall would surpass Seguin for production out of the gate as an NHL rookie. Seguin simply has much more competition for ice time, and most develop his game over time as he always been touted as a much better two-way forward than Hall. Being brought up through the deep Boston forward corps, he will likely flourish after 2-3 years, and has the offensive upside to be an NHL star in the long-term. Look for a bigger role from Seguin in 2011-2012, but temper expectations, as this future first line center will not hit big numbers right away. 40-50 pts is not out of the question, assuming a bigger role in the coming year, with prime numbers surpassing 70-80 as current scouts have postured.
RESIGNS
8. Johan Franzen, Red Wings – Franzen is a definitive lock to be a strong net presence for the Red Wings into the later stages of this decade, having signed an 11 year contract in 2009. Despite being already 31, the 6’3, 220 lb Franzen shows up when it counts, despite being notoriously prone to missing games each season. To date, only one of his six seasons with the Wings has breached 80 games played, but he remains a solid top six option and will likely continue his production throughout his prime.
9. Nikolai Kulemin, Maple Leafs – some say the most talented portion of the Grabovski-Kulemin-MacArthur line that was so successful in 2011, Kulemin broke out for 57 pts in 2011, after assuming a top six role on a Leafs team with zero offensive depth. He has good talent and size for a forward that plays a more finesse game, and will likely continue to put up pts if he continues to play top six minutes for the Leafs.
10. Alexandre Burrows, Canucks – After posting a mercurial 67 pts in 2010, Burrows returned to earth in 2011, nursing an injury and missing 16 games to start the season. Despite this, he managed to score at a 55 pt pace, putting up 48 pts in 72 games alongside the Sedins for the majority of his time on the ice. Burrows figures to continue to produce more at this year’s level considering the climbing level of offensive depth and the number of pts that could possibly go around the Canucks top six, with the Sedins and Kesler taking the lion’s share.
11. Scott Hartnell, Flyers – After a successful 2009 season where he posted a career best 60 pts, Hartnell settled back into the 40-50 pt range once more as a depth scorer with agitative edge for the Flyers for two straight seasons. A good, consistent performer, with a strong health record, he is likely on the outside looking in for production going forward, with the emergence of younger talent in the deep Philly forward corps.
12. Artem Anisimov, Rangers – in his second full season with the RANGERRRRRRRSSSS, Anisimov regressed to a 20 pt production, but would rebound in 2011 with a strong 44 pt effort playing on a development line with Dubinsky and Callahan. The young Russian has the talent to be a top six forward and if he continues to work hard, will progress nicely into his early-prime and take his place among the top six of the ever-growing RANGERRRRRRRRS.
13. Blake Geoffrion, Predators – in a small sample of 20 games, Blake, the first fourth generation NHLer, proved his talent was for real as he helped Nashville place its playoff berth leading up to a long series with Anaheim in round 1. While his production may not reach the heights of great-grandfather Howie Morenz or that of grandfather Bernie Geoffrion, Blake will likely figure into Nashville’s top nine for years to come and has top six potential.
DEFENSE
KEEPERS
1. Tobias Enstrom, Thrashers – the diminutive set up man for the Thrashers has now joined the ranks of the NHL young stars on the blue line, having posted consecutive 50 pt seasons from the point on a young and developing team. It was Byfuglien’s production that went south in Enstrom’s 10 game absence from the powerplay, and most scouts will say he is the stirrer of Atlanta’s offensive drink from the blueline. The young Swede is heading into his prime and will likely put up another 50-60 pts in the coming few years as Atlanta (or Winnipeg) begins their push as a young team with depth.
2. Kris Letang, Penguins – Letang looked absolutely unstoppable in his role as the QB for the Penguins lethal power play leading up to January 1st. Scoring at a 70 pt pace up to that point, he could do no wrong. Crosby’s concussion would then change all that, as Letang stumbled across the finish line with only 15 pts in his final half of the season, to finish with 51. With Crosby and Malkin hopefully returning to the mix, Letang will likely post similar numbers in the coming year. Expect 50-60 pts with potential for more.
3. Chris Pronger, Flyers – Pronger struggled with injuries in the 2011 season and was limited to 50 games with the Flyers. His scoring production was on pace for 43 pts, in line with most of his under-par years. He has a tendency to break down one year and come back with a vengeance in the next, and has the talent to dominate in all facets of the game. Expect 45-55 pts in a healthy season.
RESIGNS
4. James Wisniewski, Canadiens – The Wiz posted career-best numbers in 2011, with 51 pts in 75 games. Despite a strong showing, Wiz has never played a full NHL season until this season and has often tackled injury concerns with his previous teams. He remains a good top 4 pairing defenseman with good puck-moving ability and should be able to produce at a moderately close level to what he achieved in his contract year in 2011, as he enters his prime as a defenseman.
5. Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings – The only reason Lidstrom is not number one on this list is because he is still unsure of being in the Red Wings lineup for 2011-2012. The all-world future Hall of Famer is a consistent threat to put up 60 pts, having done so nine times in his illustrious career, and still doing it at age 41. He still has some hockey in him, but whether Lidstrom’s motivation to continue persists is still a question, having conquered all at the NHL level several times over.
6. Dennis Seidenberg, Bruins – Seidenberg is an excellent depth scoring defenseman that has produced 30 or more pts in three straight seasons. His role with Boston is definitive and cannot go unnoticed, as he will likely continue to face the opposition’s weaker defensive sides as the majority of their attention faces Chara and Kaberle. Seidenberg, at 29, can continue to produce at this level well into the remainder of his prime.
GOALTENDERS
KEEPER
1. Roberto Luongo, Canucks – Luongo is missing that one piece of NHL hardware to truly be able to say he has achieved all he has wanted to do in the NHL. At 32, he still has sufficient time to do it, but consistency in the playoffs will forever hound him, especially when it comes to backstopping the strong Canucks team against some of the stronger West teams. Robbie has six 30 win seasons, two above 40, and has averaged 6-7 shutouts throughout that time. He remains a perennial threat for the Vezina trophy, playing behind a fantastic team, and will continue to pile up wins playing nearly 70 games per season. Expect 35-45 wins and 6-9 shutouts, depending on the level of play the Canucks continue to have going forward.
RESIGN
2. Braden Holtby, Capitals – Holtby joins the already cloudy Capitals goaltending situation as a number three with strong talent and drive to succeed. Moving between the team’s AHL affiliate, Hershey, and the big club, Holtby succeeded in helping both teams win, especially at the NHL level, showing good poise in 14 games, winning 10 and getting 2 shutouts in the process. With the threat of Semyon Varlamov signing in the KHL, he may very well play a 1B role alongside Michal Neuvirth in 2011-2012. He projects as a long-term NHL starter with good upside, but is often overlooked by his two teammates as the future #1 for the Capitals.
next up: BLACK SOX