To the surprise of many the Winnipeg Jets selected Mark Scheifele 7th overall in the 2011 draft ahead of the likes of Sean Couturier and Dougie Hamilton.
At the time Jets GM Kevin Chevyldayoff was scrutinized by many for going off the board, but Scheifele has proven to be a worthwhile selection.
His goal and point totals have increased each year since he cracked the Jets lineup and, at 23, there is still room for more growth.
That’s a scary thought for other teams considering just how good Scheifele has been this season.
Despite missing 10 games with injury Scheifele still managed 29 goals and 61 points ranking him 29th and 34th in those categories respectively.
What is most impressive about Scheifele’s production is that a significant portion of it has come at 5 v 5. He hasn’t simply relied on the power play to inflate his stats.
Among those who have played more than 1,000 minutes of 5 v 5 hockey this year, Scheifele ranks 7th in points per 60 minutes averaging 2.31.
He sits just below Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton and Blake Wheeler in that regard and ranks ahead of tons of high profile players such as Johnny Gaudreau, Vladimir Tarasenko, John Tavares and Jamie Benn, among others.
A few years ago it appeared picking him 7th overall was a stretch but, as it turns out, if there was a re-draft today he’d probably be chosen even higher.
It’s funny how things change over time.
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The Detroit Red Wings may have just clinched a playoff spot for the 25th time in as many years, but it isn’t all roses and rainbows in Detroit.
Word is Pavel Datsyuk will be returning to Russia next season and since Datsyuk was 35 when he signed his deal the Wings will be on the hook for his $7,500,000 cap hit even if he’s not in the NHL.
That will certainly hurt the Wings’ cap situation, but the loss of Datsyuk on the ice is the big story here. Despite getting up there in age – he will be 38 in June – the Wings are still landslides better with Datsyuk on the ice than without him.
On top of driving play at an absurd rate, Datsyuk has also carried his weight offensively. Despite missing 16 games Datsyuk tallied 49 points and finished just one back of Henrik Zetterberg for the team lead in scoring.
His 5 v 5 production was nothing to write him about (he ranked 7th on the team points per 60 minutes) but he led the team in power play points per 60, and his ability to drive play certainly makes up for any offensive short comings at full-strength.
Datsyuk heading overseas is really going to hurt the Red Wings next year – and not just because they still have to pay him.
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One of the great things about the NHL playoffs, and seven-game series in general, is that anything can happen.
One or two players performing above – or below – the normal can singlehandedly decide the fate of a team. More often than not it is goaltending that decides the series one way or the other, and that’s one reason not to be overly high on the Nashville Predators heading into the playoffs.
The general perception is that Pekka Rinne is an elite goaltender but he posted a .908 save percentage in 66 starts this season and has been a below average goaltender, statistically speaking, three of the last four years (.910, .902, .923, .908).
While the Preds’ goaltending has been bad for much of the season, it’s been even worse of late.
Since March 1st the Predators have gotten .901 goaltending at 5 v 5, which ranks 29th in the NHL in that span.
If Rinne doesn’t get his act together – and fast – an otherwise good Predators team could be making an early exit in the playoffs.
Written by Todd Cordell, who can be found on twitter @ToddCordell.
