Ramblings: Jacob Trouba, Marcus Johansson, Leave Crosby and Malkin alone and more (June 9)

Neil Parker

2017-06-09

P.K. Subban - USA TODAY Sports Images

 

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are generational stars and among the best of all time. Here's a list of players that have won multiple Art Ross Trophies, multiple Stanley Cups and the Conn Smythe Trophy:

 

Wayne Gretzky

Mario Lemieux

Bobby Orr

Guy Lafleur

Sidney Crosby

Evgeni Malkin

 

Crosby and Malkin also rank sixth and 14th in all-time points per game, respectively.

Stories like this need to go away.

"And for Crosby and Malkin, it will either end with another Cup — or just more questions."

 

What questions need to be answered, exactly?

 

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Up until 15 minutes before the beginning of Game 5, I would have been shocked by the final result. However, there was a shot of the Penguins congregated in the hallway ready to hit the ice, and their confidence jumped off the screen. They were going to win.

There isn't too much to say. Pittsburgh was the better team by a significant margin, and Nasvhille didn't have an answer.

The obvious topic of discussion is Pekka Rinne's struggles at PPG Paints Arena. The daily fantasy analyst in me knows that past home-road splits, or poor play in particular venues has no barring on future outcomes. Yet, Johnny Gaudreau clearly thrives at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and Rinne is clearly searching for answers at PPG Paints.

 

Dobber had highlighted the dominance of the Sidney CrosbyConor ShearyJake Guentzel line, and the #fancystats showcase their chemistry. The trio was dominant again in Game 5. It seems insane not to have them locked in for the remainder of the series and next fall.

We've all been back and forth on just how good Guentzel can be, and just how significant the statistical decline would be for both wingers if they were exiled off Crosby's flank for a sizeable stretch. My thought is Sheary is more dependant on Crosby, and Guentzel is clearly the better offensive talent and fantasy asset.

Here's an interesting quote from Crosby on Guentzel: 

 

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I can't wait for the upcoming Pens criticism that their stars only score in blowouts.

 

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Make sure to check out the final 2017 NHL Entry Draft Rankings at Dobber Prospects. I'm particularly interested to see where Erik Brannstrom is selected. Peter gave him a huge jump in the rankings, but the Swedish defenseman doesn't have the size NHL teams have traditionally coveted.

His international experience alongside already having 38 games of SHL action stand out, but it's also encouraging to see that he dominanted against his peers with 12 goals and 30 points through 26 games in the SuperElit league. Brannstrom doesn't turn 18 until September, either.

Here's a quick read with more details on the youngster, including mention of his sky-high upside.

 

Boom.

Since Peter released his rankings, Cam posted his Top-75 Prospects eligible in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in the most recent prospect ramblings.

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I've been encouraged by Vladislav Kamenev dating back to last season, and his linked profile has recently been update by the prospect crew. He should have a genuine shot at cracking the Nashville roster, and in particular, climbing into a center role that could be opened if Mike Fisher decides to retire or Calle Jarnkrok is plucked from the club in the expansion draft. This would be the time to buy in deeper keeper/dynasty settings.

Here's a snippet from the Prospects Guide:

"The lanky Russian made strides in all areas of his game in his sophomore-pro season, finishing second on Milwaukee in points with 51 (70 games) and leading the team with a plus-11 rating. Kamenev played a more aggressive brand of hockey, shored up his defense, and added about 10 pounds to his 6-2 frame (now weighs 200). The Preds are really happy with how he"s progressing and he will likely get in at least a dozen games with the big club in the year ahead before making the jump as an NHL-regular in 2018-19."

 

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Yesterday, Cliffy was discussing some potential draft-day steals that could fly under the radar because of missed time. Jacob Trouba likely fits that bill.

He quietly posted a career-high 33 points last season while also averaging the most ice time per game (24:58) through his first four years. He's entering his age-23 campaign on the heels of an excellent cross-category showing in 2016-17. Trouba's 154 shots, 107 blocked shots, 54 PIM and 107 hits are a nice boost to his offensive numbers.

The obvious road block in front of Trouba is Dustin Byfuglien, and without looks on the No. 1 power-play unit, Trouba's scoring upside is capped. However, Winnipeg is moving in the right direction and should be able to ice two strong power-play units.

Trouba is a low-risk, high-upside target, and a Byfuglien injury away from a cushy fantasy gig as the No. 1 defenseman in Winnipeg. The asking price should remain reasonable, too.

 

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Marcus Johansson registered an 18.6 shooting percentage, including a 14.0 percent mark at five-on-five last season. Over the previous three years, he posted 11.9 and 9.7 marks, respectively. Obviously, Johansson's shooting percentage is going to drop, but how much of his fantasy value is going to be lost?

He'll turn 27 in October and has solidified himself as a top-six winger and member of the No. 1 power-play unit. That’s a cushy fantasy setup, and despite another early exit from the postseason this spring, there is no reason to expect Washington to slow down offensively in 2017-18.   

Johansson could see a slight uptick in even-strength ice time and offensive zone starts, and his power-play role alone banks him 15 to 20 points per year. More shots would also help mitigate the upcoming drop in his scoring efficiency. Two years ago, he registered 1.78 shots per game. Returning to that level of shot volume would go a long way in helping Johansson maintain his value.

 

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I couldn't agree more with the projected protection list for the Red Wings that's outlined here. But does the Detroit brass have it in them to leave veterans Darren Helm, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson available to be plucked by Las Vegas?

Nick Jensen showed a lot in his debut season, and as highlighted in the article his skating ability and acumen to break the puck out of his own end is an important asset. 13 points through 49 games hardly moves the needle, but his peripherals were respectable (59 shots, 56 blocked shots and 55 hits). Additionally, Jensen also played a solid possession game (50.4 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five) on the 24th-ranked Corsi For team in the league.

Jensen is still off the fantasy grid in the majority of settings, but he appears to be a late-bloomer with potential. Additionally, those cross-category results move the needle in deep rotisserie formats.

 

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The Blackhawks signed 26-year-old Czech defenseman Jan Rutta earlier this week. Rutta is unlikely to make a fantasy ripple being behind Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook for offensive looks, but adding a mobile defenseman that is competent at both ends of the rink is a slight boost for the entire roster. Of course, that's assuming Rutta transitions smoothly and acclimatizes quickly. This has the feel of a "double down" on last year's signing of Michal Kempny, but it's also a low-risk move.

 

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Thanks for checking in, Dobberheads.

 

 

 

5 Comments

  1. Ron 2017-06-09 at 11:48

    Evgeni Malkin – The 101st best player in NHL history.

  2. MarkRM16 2017-06-09 at 17:53

    Imagine what Crosby and Malkin’s numbers would be like if they weren’t Band-Aid Boys? Crosby’s been healthy of late, but Malkin’s missed 97 games over the past 5 years – a season and change.
    What makes their numbers even more impressive is the low-scoring era in which they’ve been playing, with coaches deploying far better defensive systems than in the past and the huge upgrades not only in the quality of goalies, but their massive size (Rinne’s 6’5″, for example) and the size of their equipment compared to what the others on the list had to deal with. I’ve often wondered what the totals of players like Gretzky and Lemieux would have been if they were playing now and during the trap years.

    • Neil Parker 2017-06-10 at 21:03

      Absolutely. Additionally, they’re playing in the salary-cap era with 30 teams in the NHL. It’s harder to win the Stanley Cup.

  3. Renaldo? 2017-06-09 at 20:38

    I haven’t watched ESPN for a VERY long time. It’s crap. Has been for a very long time.

    Long ago, they gave up on hockey. Maybe that was in their best interests, business-wise, but when that happened, I lost all interest.

    Recently, they apparently fired all that was left of their hockey writers. I guess you can make the case for reading all that is out there, but when it comes to hockey – and I’m from the US, Pgh specifically, ESPN is a joke. It’s crap.

    There’s a lot of people out there that know a lot more about hockey than I do. I have no time or patience reading about hockey from a site that cares so little about it.

    I made the mistake of reading that article. It’ll be a while before I make the same mistake again.

    • Neil Parker 2017-06-10 at 21:02

      Sorry for the tardy reply. I shouldn’t have shared it because those referrals and page views aren’t deserved. Thanks for checking in.

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