MId-Season Grades: Offense

Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk, left, of the Czech Republic,
center Paul Stastny, center left, center Matt Duchene, center right, and
defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, right, celebrate a goal by Stastny in the third period
of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Denver on Sunday,
Jan. 2, 2011. The Vancouver Canucks won 2-1. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

Today we look at the Avalanche's offense. It's hard to believe that these guys are as young as they are. It makes for an exciting future, though, as the core of the forwards will be around for a many, many years.

Team Offense – Grade: A-

GP	W	L	OT	PTS	GF	GA	Home	Away	S/O	L10
42	21	15	6	48	139	134	11-8-3	10-7-3	3-0	2-6-2

Despite a recent skid, the Avalanche forwards are still producing at an extremely high rate. The team remains one of the top goal-scoring clubs in the NHL, and it’s due in no small part to the power of the forward corps. With such a fast-skating group, the aggressive, run-and-gun system coach Joe Sacco is promoting works so well that other teams often cannot keep up or are physically drained by the third period. However, as their opponents are figuring out how to take away time and space, they need to find new ways to press their play, dictate the pace, and create scoring chances. At times they suffer from trying to find the prettiest shot instead of just putting pucks on net, but these young players still have the ability to flat out beat the other teams with their creative plays, speed, and passing. Moreover, their depth gives the coaches plenty of options as injuries rack up or chemistry wanes. In the end, their solid distribution of talent makes them a scoring threat and defensive menace on all four lines.

Matt Duchene - Grade: A+

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
42	16	24	40	4	21	3	0	2	103	15.5

Duchene has proven he’s all that the drafting reports said he would be. When top players like Chris Stewart and TJ Galiardi went down to injury, Duchene upped his game to fill the holes they left in their wake. He sacrificed much over the off-season to improve upon the areas with which he struggled last year - namely, strength on the puck and in the corners - and that improvement in defensive skills has established him as one of the best young all-around players in the league. His offensive production is as impressive as always: team leader in points, tied for first in goals, and 2nd in assists. His point totals also put him 16th among all skaters in the NHL and set the Avalanche up for two number one lines which force other teams to think hard about which line will face their top players. He’s creative with the puck - at times, too creative, missing opportunities to shoot on net. Still, he has an amazing instinct for where the open ice will be to both set up plays and to finish them. Despite the fact he’s only 20 and has yet to complete two full seasons, Duchene is not a star in the making: he already is one.

Paul Stastny - Grade: A

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
40	16	21	36	3	26	3	1	2	103	14.6

Paul Stastny is a true No. 1 center. He puts up points (36), he wins face offs (52.7%), he nets those clutch goals (3 PP, 1 SH, 2 GW), and he shows a quiet strength which has leadership written all over it. This season, we’ve seen a more playful side of Stastny, something that has been infectious to both the players and the fans. On ice, he’s used in all situations, showing his coaches have immense trust in his abilities. There have been games when he has disappeared, especially when the team most needed him to step up. Yet he is such a strong player that he has continued to produce despite losing both of his wingers to injury and thus suffering a constant rotation of linemates. Stastny may not be the flashiest player, but he continues to be the backbone of the Avs and a player who causes other teams to worry.

MIlan Hejduk - Grade: A

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
35	13	22	35	-3	12	5	0	1	86	15.1

Hejduk still has some of the best hands in the league. When you think he’s going to go with a wrister on his forehand, he’ll deke around you and slide a backhander five hole. After a slow comeback from injury, the Duke has proven he’s still one of the Avs’ best skaters on the ice, night in and night out. With 35 points, he’s only one behind the point leaders for the team - and yet he’s played as many as 7 fewer games. When he’s on the ice, especially in key moments, there’s a sense of, “Okay, Hejduk’s out there; we’re good.” He has had some very un-Duke-like moments this season, and his -3 rating is troubling. Nevertheless, he can still be relied upon to be “that” guy and get the team the goals they need. His 5 power play goals and strong shooting percentage are testament to his value on the team.

Chris Stewart - Grade: A

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
23	11	14	25	-2	36	5	0	3	66	16.7

To say Stewart has been missed would be the understatement of the season. Before breaking his hand being the beast he is, he was averaging more than a point-per-game and had notched 5 power play goals and 3 game winners. Beyond the statistics, though, are the intangibles he brought. Stewart is a game-changer. He has the ability through example and inspiration to turnaround games that are slipping away from the team or to spur on that killer instinct needed to prevent teams from coming back. It’s no wonder the power play has suffered since he’s been gone as he is the ultimate power forward who will camp himself out in front of the net and push guys out of the way to clear lanes - all while being impossible to move. Other teams are down right scared of Stewart and give him respect in all aspects of the game; he’ll beat you in a foot race, score on a perfectly placed shot, and punish you physically. Without him in the line up, the Avalanche has hung in there. Once he comes back, they will be able to beat any team in the league.

Tomas Fleischmann - Grade: B

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
18	7	10	17	-3	8	3	0	1	46	15.2

Fleischmann was another player whose career was rejuvenated when coming to Colorado. He’s producing at just under a point per game and has been a solid addition to the 2nd line. He and Duchene have an uncanny ability to know where the other will be, and with Hejduk, the three are a constant scoring threat. Fleischmann is a talented puck handler and often creates space where there wasn’t any when he got there. His ability to come up with the big plays at the ends of games has been much needed since Stewart suffered his injury. He has a bad habit, however, of floating for the other 40-50 minutes of the game. Should he put in a full 60 minutes of effort in every game, that second line could prove to be the biggest threat on the team as they would draw the best opponents, leaving the top line to wreak havoc.

David Jones - Grade: C+

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
39	13	10	23	1	20	3	0	1	84	15.5

Sometimes Jones is like the guy who played last season, tearing it up and making guys look stupid; sometimes he’s just an average guy out there who doesn’t do a whole lot. He should be a first line player, putting up a point per game. He has the talent and the speed to be a consistent offensive threat, but he just seems unable to bring it on a nightly basis. His history of injury seems to cause him to be a bit gun-shy about hitting people and bringing the physical game. Thus, he loses battles for the puck and is pushed out of the crease too easily. He still has speed and can out-skate guys on breakout chances; he just doesn’t seem to be able to finish like he used to. There’s a good chance he’ll stay on the top line, which could bode well for him as Stewart will be expected to take that power forward role, allowing Jones to get back to being the sniper he is.

Brandon Yip- Grade: D+

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
37	7	7	14	-6	29	2	0	1	66	10.6

Oh, Brandon. Where did you go? Yip is a shadow of the guy he was last season. It was expected he’d fall back to the mean after putting up astonishing numbers in 2009-10. It’s hard to believe, however, that he’d fall off them so drastically. You don’t need to rely on his -6 rating to know he’s a liability on the ice. Just watching him turn over the puck, lose battles along the boards, fail on passes and miss the net consistently tells you the story. I question his place on this team now; with players like Dupuis, Porter and Mauldin fighting for 4th line spots and Gali, Winnik and Jones staking their claims on the first and third lines, Yip needs to step it up if he expects to keep wearing the Avs’ logo.

Daniel Winnik - Grade: A-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
41	7	9	16	6	22	0	1	1	87	8.0

Feeling a bit stupid now, Phoenix? Yeah, you should. Winnik has been the ultimate third line player, and with O’Reilly, he gives the Avs a shut-down line with the power to score and score often. I would argue that, aside from Duchene, he’s been the most valuable forward on the Avalanche this season as his two-way play has been consistent, and he can always be relied upon to make plays that give the Avs a chance to win every night. His penalty killing has been a pleasure to watch as he dangles around center ice with the puck, wasting time the other team could use to pressure in the offensive zone. He has the ability to change the momentum in games and transition the team into attack mode. Teams with third-line wingers who can do that win Cups.

Ryan O'Reilly - Grade: A-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
42	5	10	15	7	6	0	1	0	79	6.3

In only 17 games this season has O’Reilly had a face-off percentage lower than 50%. In 5 games, it’s been 70% or more. He leads the team in takeaways. He currently owns the longest streak of consecutive games played at 66. He is averaging a +7 for the season thus far, despite leading the team in short-handed time-on-ice by a wide margin. What does all this mean? It means O’Reilly is THE go-to guy in defensive situations, and his +/- stat shows he’s very good at it. Some critics say his point production is too low, lessening his value. However, he’s still on pace to beat last year’s totals, and unlike last season, he’s just starting to get warmed up rather than starting to cool off at the mid-point in the season. At only 19 years old, O’Reilly possesses skills that would stand up to and even surpass any third-line center in the league. His constant dedication to improvement says he’s only going to get better. With his leadership skills and utter consistency, “Radar” is an anchor for this team.

Kevin Porter - Grade: B-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
36	7	4	11	8	14	1	0	3	46	15.2

Kevin Porter has come up big at times, tying Chris Stewart for the most game-winning goals this season. He’s also notched a power play goal and has an impressive +8 rating. Porter’s problem is inconsistency, however. There are games when you see him all over the ice, making key plays and helping the team win games. Other nights, you wonder if he’s even out there. He’s a talented player who’s been regarded highly enough to get time on the top lines, but his biggest value to the Avalanche is working on the fourth line. He’s offensive-minded and defensively responsible, willing to get dirty in the corners and be tough on the opposition (7th on the team in hits). If he could up his reliability factor, his spot on the team as players get healthy would be secure.

TJ Galiardi - Grade: B-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
25	7	6	13	1	12	0	0	1	51	13.7

Galiardi isn’t producing the way we’d expect after the incredibly impressive run during the playoffs last season. He’s a talented player who can compliment just about any line. However, his skill set is best-suited to a third line role, and he may not be producing at the level he would otherwise by being misused as a top-6 forward. He is still very strong defensively and definitely a must on the penalty kill. His injury-filled season certainly hasn’t helped him, and the fact he came out strong as soon as he returned from the IR is an indication that the rest of the season will look better for his contributions to the offensive numbers of the team.

Greg Mauldin - Grade: B-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
27	5	5	10	7	6	0	2	1	44	11.4

After being called up from Lake Erie, Mauldin started out on fire. He put up points with regularity, was exciting to watch, had speed that embarrassed the other team, created scoring chances often, and punished players with hard hits and strong checks along the boards. His team-leading 2 short-handed goals and an important game winner sparked a lot of love for the forward, deservedly so. However, his production has stopped. He hasn’t recorded a point since December 15^th and has had few shots on goal. It wasn’t long ago that his place on the team, despite the impending return of injured players, was not in doubt. A healthy scratch and a couple of minus nights later, things aren’t looking so secure for Mauldin.


Philippe Dupuis - Grade: B

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
40	3	8	11	6	19	0	1	0	56	5.4

Dupuis has been invaluable to the team as the fourth line center. He adapts well to new linemates and has been successful no matter who’s on his wings. He consistently works hard, puts up numbers and plays well defensively. He has a tendency to take bad penalties, however, and his minutes in the box are a negative mark on an otherwise excellent showing this season. Given his all-around effectiveness and a solid +6 rating, it will be surprising if he doesn’t have a roster spot for the remainder of the season.
Cody McLeod - Grade: C-

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
33	4	2	6	-3	99	1	0	0	31	12.9

McLeod just isn’t the same player he used to be. After being one of the bright spots on a dismal 2008-09 season, his play has withered. With only 6 points in 33 games, McLeod isn’t getting it done. He still has a team-leading 99 penalty minutes, and with one more penalty, he will reach a milestone in consecutive years logging over 100 PIMs. However, the value of those minutes is sometimes in question. Despite all of that, his presence has been missed during the games he’s been out due to injury. He brings grit and toughness to a team that is short in those areas; it would be great to see his offensive production increase to help create a 4^th line that can punish both on the ice and on the scoreboard.

David Van Der Gulik - Grade: N/A

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
5	1	1	2	3	2	0	0	0	9	11.1

After Van Der Gulik recovered from his injury, I think a lot of people expected him to come back to the line up. He was playing extremely well: 5 games, 1 goal, 1 assist and a +3. He was the definitive 4^th line player: he shut down other teams’ lines, he pitched in on offense, he hit opponents intelligently, and he took few penalties. Why he was sent back to Lake Erie and never called back up is difficult to understand. He had fantastic chemistry with Dupuis and Porter, and the three of them gave the Avalanche yet another line that could cause the other team to be concerned. Although Mauldin has been impressive, Van Der Gulik’s all-around game could be proving more valuable at this time.

Mark Olver - Grade: N/A

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
4	0	2	2	1	2	0	0	0	2	0.0

Mark Olver was very impressive in training camp. He clearly has skill that translates well to the NHL level. He plays a solid game and can create surprising opportunities. Unfortunately, his offensive game is similar to other players on the fourth line, but his physicality just isn’t as impressive. With the depth of talent in front of him, it seems – at least for now – Olver won’t be much more than a replacement player on loan from Lake Erie as needed.

David Koci - Grade: D

GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
9	1	0	1	-1	7	0	0	0	2	50.0

It’s hard to understand what Koci brings to the team. He plays so few minutes and doesn’t have the effectiveness a role player like him should. The roster spot he takes could be used more successfully with icing a 7^th defenseman or by calling up a player from Lake Erie who could use the experience at the pro level. His most recent game was surprisingly strong, however, and it makes me wonder if Koci has more to give during games than expected. He is definitely a good teammate; he’s regularly one of the first on the ice and one of the last off the ice during practices and is well-liked by the team. Perhaps some of his value to the organization lies in aspects of the game that fans cannot see.