Shawn Horcoff – Sniper?

Jeff Angus

2008-08-13

 horcoff

 

Shawn Horcoff was on pace for a career season in 2007-2008, but it was unfortunately cut short due to injury. His numbers were much different than his career totals. His goal total for 53 games was 21, only one off of his career high – which he set in 79 games in 2005-2006. Does he have the talent to build off of those numbers, or was it an aberration?

 

Horcoff has always been known as a dedicated, two-way center that wears his heart on his sleeve. He has worked a lot over the past few years to add an offensive element to his game – his shot. In the past, he has possessed an average wrist shot. Not great, not bad. However, last season he started to show glimpses of his hard work paying off. He was scoring legitimate sniper goals – like beating goalies clean from the slot area. He has never been someone that is thought of as a dynamic offensive player – but that is where his career appears to be heading. The Oilers have one of the most explosive offences in the West, and Horcoff will be right at the top of that for at least another four or five years.

Stud rookie Sam Gagner will eventually take over as the number one center, but right now Horcoff’s all-around game is the perfect complement to Ales Hemsky – who is also due for a big breakout. Either Dustin Penner or newly acquired Erik Cole will be the third wheel on the top line for the Oilers. Grab Horcoff if you can, he will score at least 30 goals, with an outside shot at 40. Grab Hemsky as well – he has way too much talent not to have a huge breakout season soon. Things are looking up in Edmonton, especially offensively.

📢 advertisement:

Keeping with the Northwest division – Steve Bernier is perhaps the sleeper of the 2008-2009 season. The big winger has been training in Ontario with the Canucks player development staff, and is reporting to camp early to workout with the trainers. He is in a contract year (motivation), and will be skating with the Sedin twins. On paper, he appears to be a natural fit. Big, skilled, strong down low and off the boards, and perhaps most importantly a right-handed shot. The Sedins’ turned Anson Carter into a 33-goal man, and Taylor Pyatt into a legitimate offensive player. Bernier breaks 30, and could reach 35-40 if he clicks early.

Leave A Comment

UPCOMING GAMES

Sep 21 - 19:09 BUF vs PIT
Sep 21 - 19:09 DAL vs STL
Sep 21 - 20:09 WPG vs MIN

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
DYLAN GUENTHER UTA
MORITZ SEIDER DET
MARK SCHEIFELE WPG
SHAWN BOUDRIAS
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY MTL

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
BRANDON BUSSI BOS
THATCHER DEMKO VAN
CAM TALBOT DET
ILYA SOROKIN NYI
YAROSLAV ASKAROV S.J

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency CHI Players
16.7 LUKAS REICHEL TYLER JOHNSON ANDREAS ATHANASIOU
15.2 PHILIPP KURASHEV JASON DICKINSON CONNOR BEDARD
13.9 MACKENZIE ENTWISTLE RYAN DONATO COLIN BLACKWELL

DobberHockey Podcasts

Fantasy Hockey Life: Washington Capitals

Victor and Jesse go it alone for the final of 32 fantasy team previews. We start with Washington Capitals pros Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson, Andrew Mangiapane, Sonny Milano, Aliaksei Protas, Hendrix Lapierre, Connor McMichael, Max Pacioretty, TJ Oshie, John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, Rasmus Sandin, Alexander Alexeyev, Charlie Lindgren, and Logan Thompson. […]

Fantasy Hockey Life: Winnipeg Jets with Dave Minuk

Dave Minuk of illegalcurve.com joins the show to talk Winnipeg Jets. Victor and Jesse ask about Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Gabe Vilardi, Cole Perfetti, Vladislav Namestnikov, Mason Appleton, Brad Lambert, Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo, Ville Heinola, Connor Hellebuyck, Kaapo Kahkonen, and Eric Comrie. In-Goal Magazine’s Cat Silverman joins in our Cat’s Instincts segment […]

Fantasy Hockey Life: Vancouver Canucks with Patrick Johnston

Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Sun joins the show to talk Vancouver Canucks. Jesse and Victor as about the pros: JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Daniel Sprong, Dakota Joshua, Nils Hoglander, Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, Thatcher Demko, and Arturs Silovs. In-Goal Magazine’s Cat Silverman joins in our Cat’s […]

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

📢 advertisement: