Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)
On Nathan MacKinnon …
The Colorado Avalanche recently took care of some housekeeping by signing forward Nathan MacKinnon to a long-term contract extension.
The 20-year-old put pen to paper on a seven-year deal that will see him earn $6.3 million per season.
While that may seem like a good chunk of change for a guy whose career high in points is 63, I think the Avs were very smart to act fast and get him locked up long-term rather than going with a bridge deal.
Over the last three seasons only 21 players have averaged at least .70 points per game and three shots per game. MacKinnon is one of those players.
Phil Kessel, Jamie Benn, Claude Giroux, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Jeff Carter and James Neal are a few others featured on the list. That’s decent company.
On top of MacKinnon’s impressive counting totals he has also posted solid underlying numbers; at least relative to his teammates.
When you consider that MacKinnon put up these numbers during his 18, 19 and 20-year-old seasons, they are even more impressive.
If MacKinnon isn’t a star already, he will be soon and the Avalanche have him signed prior to his prime until (near) the end of it on a team friendly salary.
The Avs have made some questionable roster decisions in recent years, this isn’t one of them.
On Jiri Hudler …
We’re well into free agency and most of the top free agents have found new homes.
One that still remains on the market is forward Jiri Hudler.
While he wasn’t the biggest name available heading into free agency – far from it, actually – his production suggested there should be no shortage of suitors.
Over the last three seasons Hudler is 21st among forwards in 5 v 5 points with 112. That ranks him ahead of Alex Ovechkin, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Johansen, Claude Giroux, Evgeni Malkin and Nicklas Backstrom to name but a few.
Malkin is the only player mentioned who played fewer 5 v 5 minutes than Hudler, so it’s not as if his counting totals are higher simply because he has played more.
In fact, if you look at 5 v 5 rate scoring, Hudler ranks even higher than he does in terms of point totals.
Over the same three-year span Hudler ranks 14th in 5 v 5 assists per 60 minutes played and 16th in 5 v 5 points per 60. Playing a good chunk of those minutes with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan helped his cause, obviously, but the benefit was mutual.
Hudler is getting up there in age, but he is still a very effective point producer. He’ll be a fine addition wherever he lands.
On Mark Scheifele …
Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t the only prominent young forward to sign a long-term extension last weekend.
Also putting pen to paper was Mark Scheifele as he signed an eight-year deal worth $6.125 million per season.
The Winnipeg Jets are usually pretty stingy when it comes to handing out big money or term to players, but I think Scheifele was a worthwhile investment.
His goal, assist, point and shot totals have increased every season since entering the league despite the fact he played 11 less games in 2015-16 than the year prior.
Scheifele’s rate stats are excellent, too, as over the last two seasons he has averaged a hair under two points per 60 minutes of 5 v 5 play. That’s good for 28th among 101 eligible forwards (minimum 2,000 minutes) and puts him ahead of some big names like Nicklas Backstrom, Patrice Bergeron, Jakub Voracek, Joe Pavelski and Sean Monahan to name but a few.
On top of producing points at a high rate, Scheifele has also posted solid underlying numbers.
As you can see the Jets have been a much better team with Scheifele on the ice. Over the last two seasons they have controlled 2.3% more of the shot attempts and 10.7%(!) of the goals at 5 v 5 with Scheifele as opposed to without him.
At 23 his best days are still ahead of him, too. The Jets should be quite comfortable that this is money well spent.
Note: numbers via hockey-reference.com and stats.hockeyanalysis.com
