Kristian Huselius: Magic Man
Jeff Angus
2008-01-03
The title says it all – here's why columnist Jeff Angus likes 'the Juice' so much…
Everyone knows that primarily Jarome Iginla drives the Flames up front, but Huselius is not far behind. I touched briefly last season on what I feel his ultimate upside is (95-100 points), and was immediately scoffed at (although it was pretty bold). He has the best hands in the Western Conference, and has a lot to play for right now – hint hint, contract year.
He usually runs the Flames top unit from the half wall, and likes to dart in and out of traffic looking for open players to feed the puck to. His wizardry with the puck often goes unnoticed league wide, due to the lack of spotlight on the soft-spoken Swede. He will garner a lot of attention this offseason, as I do not see him returning to Calgary. They have bigger fish to fry, especially stud RFA Dion Phaneuf on the backend. Early word is that Phaneuf is looking for a long-term deal well over $5 million per season.
If this article comes off as me gloating, it is not intentional. Since I am so active around this site, it would be just as easy to find a player that I was off the mark on. I just want to give the “inside scoop” on a guy who has gone from relative bust to a solid offensive star, and it looks like he is in the middle of is ascension to elite. If you think he has capped his upside (or think the GM who has him does), go all out to get him. He has a ton of upside and is just entering his prime.
Read Jeff Angus' blog here – and comment on Kristian 'Juice' Huselius…