Welcome to 10 Insights and Observations. Every week, I’ll use this house to spotlight groups, gamers, storylines and normal musings across the NHL.
This week we discuss Victor Hedman and the Tampa Bay energy play, Barrett Hayton coming into his personal, a motivated Evgenii Dadonov, 2-on-0s, a faceoff play and way more.
Evgenii Dadonov’s NHL profession has been filled with twists and turns. (Photo through AP)
The curious profession of Evgenii Dadonov
Evgenii Dadonov has one of many more unusual profession arcs I can bear in mind. Drafted within the third spherical in 2007, he stayed within the KHL for 2 extra seasons after that earlier than coming to North America in 2009-10 and placing the time in. He performed 76 video games within the AHL that season.
The subsequent two years he bounced between the AHL and NHL earlier than heading again to the KHL at 24 — when the NHL had a half-season lockout — and he stayed there. He had 30 objectives and 66 factors in 53 video games in his closing season there and he adopted it up with 19 factors in 18 playoff video games.
He wished to return to the NHL and Florida gained an inexpensive bidding struggle for his providers. Dadonov didn’t disappoint over his three campaigns with the Panthers, placing up back-to-back 28-goal seasons and a 25-goal season in his contract yr.
From there he signed with the Senators and it began to go south. His model of play didn’t mesh with DJ Smith in any respect and he struggled, ultimately getting shipped off in a commerce.
His recreation rebounded with the Golden Knights as he had a 20-goal season, however they had been in cap hassle and seemed to ship off his cash in a clumsy scenario the place the commerce was introduced however he exercised his no-trade clause and voided it. Then he needed to play out the remainder of the season with Vegas. To his credit score he performed properly.
Last summer season, he was traded for Shea Weber’s contract and he hardly seemed enthusiastic about taking part in hockey on a blatantly dangerous Montreal staff.
He was acquired by the Stars on the commerce deadline and appears like a brand new man. He has eight factors in 10 video games, taking part in alongside Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston on a contending staff. He has had nicer highlights since becoming a member of Dallas however have a look at the trouble right here to get the puck again, win a battle, and cross it off to Max Domi (who makes an incredible saucer cross) for the time beyond regulation win. The talent has all the time been there and getting a motivated and engaged Dadonov is a extremely quiet however good addition.
Story continues
Déjà vu for Stecher
Is Troy Stecher going to do it once more? Last season, Drew Doughty obtained harm down the stretch for Los Angeles and Stecher was acquired for primarily nothing (a seventh-round choose). While his numbers gained’t wow you, he performed roughly 18 and a half minutes per recreation for the Kings and was on the fitting facet of shot share and probability era.
He wasn’t the explanation the Kings made the playoffs they usually did get bounced within the first spherical however he gave them good minutes at a time after they had been attempting to piece collectively their protection due to such an enormous loss.
Despite his strong displaying, Stecher had no free-agent market and ended up signing with Arizona. At the deadline, he was once more traded for little or no in what was a four-player commerce with the Flames highlighted by the Ritchie brothers swap. He isn’t taking part in almost as a lot in Calgary at simply over 14 minutes per recreation to date, however in a sheltered position alongside Nikita Zadorov, he’s serving to to spherical out the Flames’ protection, giving them a 3rd pairing they will fairly belief.
Stetcher has limitations but when Calgary makes it, this would be the second straight yr he went to a bubble staff on the deadline and helped them get there.
Lightning enhance on what was already a power
Victor Hedman put up monster offensive stats final yr with 20 objectives and 85 factors. Those numbers had been each third amongst NHL defensemen as he performed over 25 minutes per recreation. He additionally contributed 38 power-play factors, which led not simply Tampa, however was probably the most power-play factors amongst all defensemen.
As a staff, Tampa’s energy play ranked eighth and clicked at 23.9 %. What has been fascinating this season is that Hedman’s power-play ice time per recreation is down from 3:35 final season to 2:51 this season, and his manufacturing on the person benefit has additionally slipped as he has zero objectives and 12 assists.
The huge benefactor has been Mikhail Sergachev, whose power-play time is up almost a minute, making up that drop for Hedman, and Tampa’s energy play is definitely clicking at the next price, rating second this season at 25.4 %.
As groups have actually targeted on the Lightning’s half-wall weapons — Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov — they’ve adjusted by bumping extra pucks to the center for Brayden Point to feast on. Point leads Tampa in power-play objectives with 17 and Stamkos’s power-play pictures per 60 is barely down from final season, as are level pictures, whether or not through Hedman or Sergachev.
This is a bread-and-butter play for Tampa, and also you’ll discover Sergachev is on the purpose, not Hedman. It’s labored across the wall to the purpose, Sergachev walks the road to tug the defender over and performs a fast two-man recreation with Kucherov to open up some house as Point slips open for what finally ends up being a simple aim.
Plenty of the main target is on the Lightning’s shooters, however they’ve made refined changes and have relatively quietly improved their energy play alongside the way in which.
It’s not all dangerous for the Coyotes
Take a fast have a look at the standings since Feb. 1 and you’ll word the Arizona Coyotes are within the prime 10 in factors share over that point. Clayton Keller is second in the complete league with 31 factors in 19 video games over that span. He has already hit each 30+ objectives and 70+ factors for the primary time in his profession and he has been lights out. It’s a stepping stone and he has clearly been implausible, however slightly below that’s presumably a extra constructive improvement.
Barrett Hayton has 19 factors in these 19 video games — he had 24 factors in 60 video games in his rookie season final yr. It helps he is taking part in with Keller however he’s not a passenger on that line and it’s clearly going to his confidence. This is a respectable aim scorer’s aim from Hayton, pulling the puck in like he’s going to snap it far publish with deception earlier than capturing it quick facet and beating Filip Gustavsson cleanly.
Hayton was drafted fifth total in 2018, one choose after Ottawa chosen Brady Tkachuk, and Arizona has been a multitude throughout that point. Because he was drafted so way back it’s laborious to reconcile that that is solely his second actual, full season within the league. Hayton has solely performed 162 video games however he’s beginning to present indicators of life, taking part in in a respectable 1C position. He and Keller are on the constructive facet of issues in shot share, anticipated objectives and precise objectives at 5-on-5, outscoring opponents 32-21. On Arizona!
Since changing into the “Arizona” Coyotes in 2014, they haven’t had one single high-scoring middle of word. They may need lastly simply drafted and began to develop one, although.
What’s occurring with the 2-on-0?
You would suppose a 2-on-nothing towards the goalie could be virtually automated within the NHL, however that has not essentially been the case. Here’s what we have seen over the previous week, beginning with John Tavares and Michael Bunting:
Then Matt Duchene and Thomas Novak did this:
And lastly Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau botched their try (although they scored proper after):
What is happening right here? Are 2-on-0s laborious? All three examples are completely different approaches however all reek of overthinking it. Passing it too late (and on the backhand?) within the first one, primarily making it a breakaway in the second, then slowing all the way down to the purpose of standing nonetheless and passing it within the third one.
It ought to be actually easy to execute: each gamers enter with velocity and the primary cross is both one-timed into the online as a result of the goalie didn’t absolutely decide to sliding over, or the goalie slides over laborious and it’s a one-touch again for a tap-in.
An straightforward option to drive a training employees loopy
We love an excellent faceoff play and typically the less complicated the higher. In this Hurricanes vs. Jets recreation, we see a win to the far-side Carolina winger, who loops excessive to the center of the ice and easily drops the cross off to Brady Skjei, who has on a regular basis on the planet to skate in, choose his nook, and fireplace away.
With Martin Necas reducing throughout it’s virtually a choose play as a result of he’s in the way in which of anybody racing out to the defenseman. But two Jets gamers actively committing to the puck service, as they each adopted him, simply can’t occur there in any respect. Before the puck is dropped each gamers ought to know their obligations and one in every of them — virtually actually the winger — is meant to go to the defenseman. This sort of aim would drive a training employees insane.
Hamilton reaching new heights
Devils blueliner Dougie Hamilton ranks second amongst all defensemen in objectives scored over the previous seven seasons. Because he’s not overly bodily, it looks like folks overlook he’s 6-foot-6, 230 kilos and the way that may profit the remainder of his recreation, significantly his shot, which is an absolute bomb. At that measurement and weight he can actually lean into the puck and it takes little or no for his wrister to get off. This play is from final season but it surely’s an excellent instance:
It’s virtually unassuming. He doesn’t should lean into it in any respect to get off an important shot. It virtually looks like a golf swing as he stands upright and simply leaves the magic to a mix of his stick, measurement, and weight shift. When he one-times it, it’s a missile.
That’s a no-screen one-timer and the goalie shouldn’t be even aggressive. He simply blows it by him. Unlike defensemen like Roman Josi and Cale Makar, who additionally price proper up there in objectives, Hamilton hardly does it together with his legs. He’s not likely slicing via impartial zones and having these highlight-reel rushes, although he’ll be a part of the frenzy with out the puck and discover house to get his shot off. He by and enormous simply powers pucks by goalies.
He’s already at a career-high 64 factors (in 68 video games) and his 18 objectives ties his high-water mark. Hamilton has constantly been an excellent goal-scoring defenseman however this seems to be to be his greatest season but, discovering an entire new stage as he’s surrounded by a really gifted Devils staff.
Staal anchoring Hurricanes’ shorthanded mastery… once more
Jordan Staal joined the Hurricanes earlier than the 2012-13 season. From that point till now, the Hurricanes have the second-ranked cumulative penalty kill within the league.
Ranking first in that span is the Boston Bruins, who’ve had two stalwarts of their very own over that total time interval in Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Those two will go down as two of the very best penalty killers of this era, as not solely are the Bruins first in penalty-killing share in that point, however Marchand and Bergeron are first and second in shorthanded factors, too. Nobody is even remotely near Marchand’s 45 shorthanded factors, whereas Bergeron has 33.
While Staal won’t ever be that productive — nor did he profit from taking part in alongside two generational gamers in Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask — he’s a driving power by way of pure penalty killing within the defensive zone. At 6-foot-4 and 220 kilos, he’s robust as an ox and if you happen to get locked right into a battle with him for the puck, it’s not going to go properly.
There had been some lean years in Carolina by way of expertise however its penalty kill has now been top-five for 4 years working. Staal has performed over 100 extra shorthanded minutes than another Hurricanes ahead in that point. You gained’t discover a spotlight reel of his shorthanded play, it’s only a clinic in positioning, puck strain and stick-work.
It’s becoming this yr that the Bruins and Hurricanes are first and second in penalty-kill share, led by three of the very best penalty-killing forwards of this period.
Eriksson Ek flying beneath the radar with one other robust yr
In the class of excellent participant that doesn’t actually get a lot love is Joel Eriksson Ek. He is an absolute power on the market for the Wild and has grown into his 6-foot-3 body to the purpose the place he simply muscle groups folks off the puck and erases opponents alongside the wall within the defensive zone. Six full seasons into his profession, he has by no means had a marketing campaign beneath 51.3 % in anticipated objectives, and that was his rookie season.
It’s not like Eriksson Ek will get straightforward minutes both, as he has by and enormous been Minnesota’s matchup, shutdown middle. His commonest linemates in his profession have been Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. Those are strong, trustworthy gamers, however they aren’t precisely stars. It has been Eriksson Ek because the line-driver up the center.
This season he’s taking part in a career-high 19:13 per recreation because the Wild have battled all kinds of accidents. But as soon as once more they’re stingy defensively and are primed to make the playoffs with the potential to be an issue. Over the final two seasons, he has develop into a net-front presence on the facility play, utilizing his measurement to win pucks in entrance and fireplace them residence. He has 12 power-play objectives in back-to-back seasons and is an excellent, understated participant.
Gourde does his greatest Karlsson impression
A number of years in the past, Erik Karlsson threw one of many nicest stretch passes now we have ever seen when he saucered a breakout dish from his personal finish over everybody’s head that landed completely on Mike Hoffman’s stick, who then proceeded to attain a lovely aim for the Senators. To try this at any level, not to mention a playoff recreation on the street, speaks to the standard of Karlsson.
It was becoming, then, that one of many nicest stretch passes we’ve seen since got here whereas he was on the ice, however this time for the opposite staff.
That’s Kraken ahead Yanni Gourde with the outlet cross. The stakes weren’t fairly the identical as a street playoff recreation — San Jose is a bottomfeeder this season — however Seattle is attempting to make a playoff push.
The cross although, is unimaginable. It cuts proper via 4 Sharks, and to some extent, doing that largely alongside the ice is much more tough. You have to actually zip that puck to get it via like that and he put severe warmth on that cross. He hits Bjorkstrand in stride, too. The complete play is completed standing nonetheless besides.
