There have been no shortage of surprises during the 2016 NHL playoffs.
At or near the top of the list is Evgeny Kuznetsov’s inability to put up points; particularly at full-strength.
During the regular season Kuznetsov was as prolific offensively as almost anyone in hockey at 5 v 5. Kuznetsov tallied 49 points in that game state, which was good for 3rd in the NHL.
The only players that managed more were Sidney Crosby (51), the best player in hockey, and Patrick Kane (57), who will likely take home the Hart Trophy for his efforts.
Kuznetsov didn’t just pile up points because he was spoon fed minutes, either. He was the 4th most efficient 5 v 5 scorer in the league averaging 2.54 points per 60 minutes played. Only Jaromir Jagr, Connor McDavid and the after-mentioned Kane bested Kuznetsov in that regard.
Fast forward to the post season and Kuznetsov has yet to record a point at 5 v 5 through 11 games.
While some would have you think Kuznetsov is not playing well, that’s far from reality.
As you can see the Capitals are actually generating a higher percentage of shot attempts, scoring chances and high-danger looks with Kuznetsov on the ice in the playoffs than they did during the regular season.
The small sample size (11 games) leaves more room for variation in numbers, obviously, but they remain awfully impressive nonetheless.
If the Capitals continue to dominate play with Kuznetsov on the ice, it’s only a matter of time before the points follow. Unfortunately for the Caps time isn’t on their side right now.
—
Over the last few years Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill has done a fantastic job of turning what was a mediocre team into a Stanley Cup contender.
From the Tyler Seguin trade to the Jason Spezza trade to the Jason Demers trade, among others, Nill has added a lot of quality players and filled big holes in the process.
There is one area he hasn’t been able to properly address, though, and it’s likely going to cost the Stars a chance to seriously contend for the Stanley Cup: goaltending.
Stars’ goaltenders posted a woeful .902 save percentage during the regular season. That was good for 29th in the league and only bested the Calgary Flames, who had three different goaltenders appear in at least 22 games.
Their goaltending hasn’t been any better in the playoffs, either, as Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen have combined to stop just 88.7% of the shots they’ve faced. That ranks the Stars last among teams yet to be eliminated from the playoffs.
What makes matters worse is that the Stars have a league-high $10.4 million allocated to their goaltenders. Both Lehtonen and Niemi, whose best days are behind them, are signed for another two seasons, too.
The Stars have a handful of pending unrestricted free agents (notably Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers) in need of raises and the fat contracts Lehtonen and Niemi are signed to could hinder the Stars’ ability to retain their own. It also doesn’t leave much wiggle room to find a solution in goal.
Jim Nill had to jump through some hoops to assemble this team. Keeping it together, while finding a way to upgrade between the pipes, could prove to be even tougher.
—
To the delight of many, Jaromir Jagr has decided to return to the NHL for at least one more year.
Just a few days ago the living legend put pen to paper on a one-year extension in what was a smart bit of business for the Florida Panthers.
The percentages were friendly to Jagr this past season, meaning luck was on his side, but at 44 years of age he managed to be the league’s most efficient scorer at 5 v 5.
Jagr recorded a remarkable 2.70 points per 60 minutes at 5 v 5, just beating out Connor McDavid (2.69) for top spot. Jagr also finished in a tie with Kuznetsov for 3rd in 5 v 5 points with 49.
Jagr was a key contributor of one of the very best lines in hockey (Jonathan Huberdeau – Sasha Barkov – Jagr) this past season as the Cats out scored their opponents 36-17 at 5 v 5 in just over 600 minutes with that trio on the ice.
He surely won’t duplicate his success next season, however, he is undoubtedly still a very good player despite his age.
Given what Jagr brings to the Panthers both on and off the ice he seems well worth the $4 million (potentially $1.515 million more in bonuses) it costed the Panthers to retain him.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)