Season 26 Challenges Thread - Due Friday, September 21st

[John - Sharks]

You may challenge any 2 skaters for SP, SK, DF.

Also, you may challenge any newly created prospects without limit.

[anthgrt-la]

Esa Lindell

SP: 72 requested 73
SK: 72 requested 73
DF: 72 requested 74

The Dallas Stars defense looks as though they may finally be turning a corner. A big part of their success has to do with the growing confidence in Esa Lindell’s play.

His offensive pressure is strong, his transition game is great, and his defensive play is impressive.

All in all, Esa Lindell is a lot like an air traffic controller. He’s a skilled and powerful player with a big job that he does well, regardless of who is paying attention or giving him credit. He’s just an indispensable part of the team..

Lindell has a decisive shot, can move the puck around well on offense, and knows how to stay composed in the defensive zone and give up minimal chances on his way to getting the puck out of the zone.

https://blackoutdallas.com/2017/12/30/d ... a-lindell/

The scouting report on Esa Lindell is a bit unique.

Watch the young Stars defenseman for a game or two, and you're not blown away. Watch him for 30 games, and you start to get it. Lindell's ability to adapt to the game and turn in consistently strong and quiet performances create the type of player every coach loves.


"Not a lot bad goes on when he's on the ice," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "Somebody will say, 'I didn't really notice him in a game,' and I'll say that's a really good thing."

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas ... good-stars

With or without space, he threads the needle like a smocking guild savant.

https://www.defendingbigd.com/2016/8/5/ ... for-dallas

“He stepped into our lineup there and took a big role,” said Dallas Stars assistant GM Les Jackson. “He was one of our go-to guys at his position. He accepted all his challenges and handled them well.”

“Steadiness,” said Scott White, Dallas Stars Director of Hockey Operations and Texas Stars GM. “He’s a complete player, both ends of the rink. He quietly gets points. He logs 24-26 minutes a night. He quietly does his job.”

https://www.nhl.com/stars/news/prospect ... l/c-884631

Then we have Lindell, and the impact he had on the construction of the Dallas Stars defense. Lindell had been the flawless, reliable auxiliary piece to Norris Trophy contender John Klingberg all campaign long, but sans the former AHL All-Star, the defensive six suffered through an accordion effect.

Lindell’s presence is vital to the success of two-way maestro Klingberg, and it helps create a defensive unit with chemistry and perfect deployment styles throughout the lineup. Without him, the Stars defense contributes little offensively (other than Kling, of course), and struggles to get the puck out of the zone and up the ice.

https://blackoutdallas.com/2018/03/07/d ... a-lindell/

The pairing of Lindell and Klingberg posted 47 goals for compared to 34 goals against, while the Stars had a stellar 0.934 save percentage with the pair of #23 and #3 on the ice.

https://blackoutdallas.com/2017/09/23/d ... e-defense/

And Klingberg might not be in that position without Esa Lindell, who has emerged as a true top-pairing defender in his second NHL season.

If Klingberg is the marquee actor, Lindell should be nominated for best supporting actor with his role this season.

If you want to dig deeper, his advanced analytics also look pretty good. With a 54.11 CF%, Lindell ranks 11th amongst defenders that have played more than 700 minutes this season (Klingberg ranks ninth in CF% with 54.24).

In defensive point shares, a stat tracked by Hockey Reference similar to WAR in baseball, Lindell is fifth in the league at 3.5.

The only players ahead of him? Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (4.5), Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara (3.9), Anaheim Duck Josh Manson (3.7), and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (3.7).

https://theupsetsports.com/playing-cons ... rg-thrive/

His best trait as a defenseman might be his dependability

Hitchcock, October 2017: "He's a lot better offensively than we thought. He's got great vision. He's as good on the right side as he is on the left. He's a very calm player in critical ice. He doesn't panic with the puck, and he certainly doesn't panic without the puck."

And then there's this from Dan Hamhuis, a defenseman who has logged more than 1,000 career NHL games: "He was solid last year and he's just continued along that path. I think the type of game Esa plays, he's going to be around for a long time. It's simple, not high risk, he uses his strengths. He's a big, strong guy and he also makes smart decisions."

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas ... stars-2017



Mats Zuccarello

DF: 63 requested 70-72

Positive relative corsi/fenwick all 8 seasons he has played in the NHL. Career 3.5 CF% rel 3.7 FF% rel

Has received Selke votes throughout his career

326 TkA <> 247 GvA career ratio

https://www.hockey-reference.com/player ... ama01.html

72DF in GVFHL

http://gvfhl.com/html/LinkedRosters.html#Philly

72DF in SHL

http://eatsleepsim.ca/SHL/Page/LinkedRo ... =Nashville

Regular on the PK

http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?report= ... hTimeOnIce

The forward has led the team in points four of the past five seasons and taken on responsibilities on both the power play and penalty kill at different points. Zuccarello finds a way to be effective in every single phase of the game.

There is always going to be a market for players capable of registering 50 points in a season that can play on the penalty kill.

https://bluelinestation.com/2018/08/16/ ... ther-team/

''I have always thought of him as a hardworking, two-way hockey player,'' Rangers coach Alain Vigneault

https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/zucc ... er-devils/



Thomas Chabot

SP: 77 requested 78-79
SK: 77 requested 78-79

Has a very projectable frame, plus great hockey sense. Is very mobile and can also be an asset on the power play, mostly due to his high hockey IQ. Can eat up a ton of minutes.

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/player/11235

His skating is outstanding for his size and position, and his ability to weave in and around traffic at a very high rate of speed while maintaining control are the main reasons why he’s ranked so high.

Defensively, Chabot has excellent range, using his mobility to cover ground in a hurry.

he is quick enough with his footwork and stick to turn what may seem like a catastrophic ill-timed gamble into a simple change of possession or puck battle.

https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/nhl-dra ... as-chabot/

His skating allowed him to make space, gain entry to the zone, and set up shop to create scoring chances.

A silky, smooth skater, Chabot shows high potential as puck moving defensive prospect. He has the speed to join or lead the rush, and get back defensively. He has the edgework and agility to pivot quickly and cover large areas of the ice, or to walk the line and open up passing and shooting lanes.

Strengths:
Fluid skating
Speed

https://thehockeywriters.com/thomas-cha ... t-profile/

ASSISTANT GM PIERRE DORION SAYS: "He's an excellent skater, a very good puck mover and I think the way the game is headed with more transitional puck-moving defencemen, Thomas fits that bill. He makes good, smart passes, defends well with his stick and uses his feet to defend. To us, he's a guy that's going to be a top-four defenceman in the future."

https://www.silversevensens.com/2017/9/ ... mas-chabot

His skating is very good and helps him when he joins the rush up the ice.

He's definitely got talent and has excellent skating and hockey smarts.

With his rise up the rankings though, it might be wise to keep an eye out on this smooth skating defenseman from out of the Q.

https://www.defendingbigd.com/2015/5/21 ... irst-round

Possesses excellent mobility and has good individual puck skills; can catch the opposition off guard with his speed.

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2015/NHL-Draf ... mas-Chabot

He’s a graceful skater, and his smooth, confident stride helps exude a calming presence that calms his team in turn

https://www.hockeywilderness.com/2015/6 ... aple-leafs

[smallz]

Dylan Larkin - SP/SK

https://www.nhl.com/news/larkin-fastest ... -278051314

[Kris]

Elias Lindholm - DF
Currently - 60
Requested - 68

"Winning 54.5% of his faceoffs, he was the go to option for Bill Peters when he needed a a right handed player on the draw. Along with being inserted on draws, you could always expect to find him on the PK where you can say he has grown the most over his career. A defensive stalwart on a once very highly rated PK unit two years ago, Lindholm is a defensive anchor and makes up for his lack of offense with good defense."

"In a contract year he has proven one thing: he is a Swiss army knife by trade, killing penalties, playing on the power play, and taking big faceoffs late in games."

https://www.canescountry.com/2018/4/25/17234300/carolina-hurricanes-elias-lindholm-performance-review-evaluation-grade-statistics

[Chris-Wild]

Challenge #1
Ryan Kesler

Current DF = 70
Asking for = 74

Not sure how Kesler's DF dropped to 70 but he has won a selke (the gold standard for forward DF) and is also nominated almost every year. He had some injury trouble lately but his DF should still be among the top defensive forwards in the league.

[Kris]

Brandon Montour
Current DF - 69
Requesting - 72

https://lastwordonhockey.com/2018/04/17/brandon-montour-stepping-up-big-playoffs/

"After stepping into the NHL last season, Montour has steadily received more ice time from coach Randy Carlyle. While averaging 20:28 in the regular season, he has seen an increase to 24:58 in the playoffs. There are not many 25-minute per game defensemen in the NHL (10 to be exact), and no skater averaged more than 27 minutes per game. Defensemen with the endurance and the trustworthiness to play that amount of time are very hard to come by. Fowler is the usual man for the job in Anaheim, but Montour has been handed the role. Montour however, has not only adapted to the increase but has also excelled in it."

"It would be impressive for any Duck to have posted respectable figures this series so far, especially after Game 3. But Montour has been the outlier, posting the highest Corsi For Percentage (59.8%) and Game Score (1.15) on the Ducks’ blueline. He also is receiving more defensive zone starts (40%) than known defensive stalwarts Manson (26.5%) and Lindholm (21.4%). This shows the trust Carlyle has placed in Montour, who has leaned on him heavily thus far in these playoffs."

"With all the disappointment surrounding the Anaheim Ducks right now, Montour has given fans something to be proud of. He has stepped into Fowler’s role as de facto number one defenseman and has thrived in it. His play in the San Jose series has been stellar, while those around him falter. If the Ducks look to have any hope of climbing back in the series, Montour will have to play a central role. He has taken a major step forward in his development and has proven ready to take the next step. There is no telling what his ceiling may be, but his play these playoffs have been any indication, it may be celestial."

[bluesgm]

Neal Pionk
SP/Sk 73
request 75/75
Defense 69 request 70

Like other MN born UMD dmen (Faulk, Niskanen) Pionk speed and skating is where he gets by..not an overly big player..his skating ability really allowed him to excel last season.

His speed, skating ability and offensive skill overshadows his size
https://sinbin.vegas/neal-pionk-going-p ... n-the-mix/

Pionk is a very good two-way defenseman thanks to his excellent skating ability and agility. He moves the puck up the ice reliably thanks to an ability to spin his way out of traffic and is an excellent outlet passer. His quickness also gives him the confidence to hold the line in the offensive zone, rather than giving up ice to give himself more cushion defensively.
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2017/1 ... k-kelleher

First of all, let’s take a look at the kind of player Pionk is. A right handed defenseman, Pionk is a terrific skater with a big one timer and good vision. This style of player is exactly what the Rangers need in their system.
https://bluelinestation.com/2017/09/07/ ... caa-prize/

“In Neal’s case: he’s not an overly big defenseman, but he’s smart,” Vigneault told the media on March 12. “His gap is good on the ice, he competes. I don’t know if you remember this but in our game in Edmonton there was a big boxing out match between him and Lucic, one of the bigger players in the league, and he just stood there toe-to-toe with him. I like his compete, I like his skill, and he’s smart on the ice.”

Perhaps what’s most exciting about Pionk is that he’s displayed tremendous skating ability and maturity with the puck on the right side. That alone makes him a tremendously valuable prospect moving forward.

New York Rangers D Neal Pionk is the foundation of the defense for years to come
By
Frank Curto -
07/16/2018

Pionk made his debut Feb. 9 and he quickly was on the top defensive pairing, with Marc Staal. He was universally lauded as the best-performing of all the young defensemen down the stretch. It was hard to find something he didn’t do well. He played in all situations — power play, even strength, penalty kill — and excelled in all of them. He matched up against opposing teams’ top forwards, generated offense for himself and teammates, and even — at an unimposing 6-feet, 190 pounds — was one of the team’s most physical defensemen, registering 49 hits in 28 games (1.75 average). That was second among defensemen who finished the season on the club, behind only Steven Kampfer (2.09). His 1.46 blocked shots per game was third (behind Kampfer and Rob O’Gara).
https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/r ... 1.18236965

[John - Sharks]

The deadline is Friday, September 21st for these.

[RichBasterd]

Tobias Rieder
Current DF = 67
Requested DF = 71

Current SP = 77
Requested SP = 79

Rieder is not only seen as a useful third-line NHL forward, he’s also coming cheaply at $2 million for one season.

With Arizona, he worked the PK, getting 1:33 per game last year and 2:22 per game in 2016-17.

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hock ... olks-happy

The following two seasons Rieder carved out a nice niche as a middle-six forward who could kill penalties and chip in offensively. He scored 14 goals in 2015-16 and 16 goals in 2016-17.

He’s a two-way winger who skates well, kills penalties, and can chip in a little bit of offence.

https://oilersnation.com/2018/06/25/ufa ... r-mistake/

"That's the guy we remember," Stevens said. "He's always a threat with his speed.

That's what I'm trying to bring to that line," Rieder said. "Those are two really good players. I'm just trying to create room for them with my speed, pulling a defenseman back, or if I get in a footrace, I'm pretty confident I can beat a lot of guys. Whenever I see open ice, I'm trying to get my legs going. That usually opens up some room."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/kings/la- ... tory.html#

Rieder is a fast, skilled forward who plays a strong two-way game. He brings some depth to the Oilers organization as he can move up and down the line up as needed. Rieder possesses a great shot and while he may not be able to outmuscle his opponents, he can surely beat them with his speed. He can also play on both speciality teams as Rieder has the ability to put the puck in the net and also is a very effective penalty killer. He has scored four shorthanded goals over his career mostly due to his speed breaking out of the zone as teams are caught deep on the powerplay. His coaches will certainly fall in love with his 200-foot game and should prove to be a very valuable signing this coming season.

https://lastwordonhockey.com/2018/07/01 ... as-rieder/

Rieder will bring more speed, along with two-way play, to the Kings bottom six.

"But he’s still a young kid who plays the game with a lot of speed. There’s guys who are fast, and then there’s guys who are kind of in the upper level, and I think he would be a guy who really carries a lot of speed at an upper level and thinks the game well.”

“I did hear from some of his former coaches after we made the deal, and they just raved about him as a kid, and his 200-foot game,” added Stevens. “That’s kind of what we know about him. He’s been a mid-teens scorer a few times, so we think the addition of his speed and responsible game will be good for us.”

“We’ve been playing against him for years,” said defenseman Alec Martinez. “He’s a really tough guy to play against. He’s got a lot of speed, he’s burned us a few times. It’s nice to have him on this side of things.”

"So, I do think he gives you some options there, but I think the fact that he comes into your lineup as a responsible guy—he has killed penalties before, he has [provided] secondary scoring to the teams he has been on, and he carries a lot of speed, so he definitely makes us a deeper group up front.”

https://frozenroyalty.net/2018/02/22/tobias-rieder/

Tobias Rieder has been one of the better defensive forwards on the team since he came streaking into the league in 2014-15

Rieder has made a name for himself, being the go-to guy on the penalty kill along with Jordan Martinook. He is on the smaller side, 5’11” 181lbs, but he uses that to his advantage. He is one of the faster players on the team and is deadly on the penalty kill.

Rieder is going into a contract year, and the Coyotes should consider keeping him around for a long time since he has become a major defensive player for the team.

https://www.fiveforhowling.com/2017-coy ... s-to-shine

And from there, Rieder continued to be the player that Coyotes fans have become accustomed to: a speedy, penalty-killing phenom with just enough scoring touch to strain defenses.

His mere presence and break-away threat make the Coyotes a better team, not to mention his versatility to play anywhere in the lineup.

And then there's Rieder’s defensive game, which continues to be about as strong as there is on the roster. Dave Tippett puts a lot of confidence in him, with only defenseman Alex Goligoski sporting more short-handed time on ice than Rieder.

https://www.fiveforhowling.com/2017/6/8 ... army-knife

Cody Eakin
Current DF = 67
Requested DF = 71

Assets Works very hard and has two-way savvy. Is a fierce competitor and a versatile forward--capable of playing both center and wing. Has some scoring ability and is a clutch performer.

Career potential Sound, versatile two-way forward.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/player-bio/cody-eakin/bio

Eakin leads the Golden Knights with a 52.5% faceoff win percentage (150 faceoff minimum) and 424 faceoff wins. He’s tied for third with 51 takeaways, and is 12th on the team with 24 giveaways.

One of Eakin’s best attributes is his work on the faceoff dot. He is one of the leaders in FO% amongst depth centers. If that isn’t impressive enough, Eakin leads all comparable third-line centers with 51 takeaways.

Coaches set their lineups based on more than just the score sheet. All Star head coach Gerard Gallant plays Eakin almost 15 minutes per game expecting the center to perform his role. Winning face offs, killing penalties, pressuring defenses and occasionally scoring is Eakin’s gameday assignment.

https://sinbin.vegas/cody-eakin-is-an-e ... ne-center/

He’s a solid two-way player that is very useful as a penalty killer...

He’s an aggressive forechecker and will play the body although he’s not known as a punishing hitter.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/cody_eakin/

Eakin is a two-way player who looks to anchor the second line for the Golden Knights. He had a bit of an off year last season, but in his prior four seasons in Dallas (2012-2016), the young center averaged 0.46 points per game while also delivering 321 hits, blocking 193 shots and stealing the puck 194 times in 289 regular-season games.

Because the Vegas GM goes way back with Eakin, though, the Golden Knights are confident they snagged a very underrated player. In the end, the hometown fans are going to love Eakin's grit and commitment to playing defense. Those are the kinds of players that earn the eternal gratitude and loyalty from those of us in the stands.

https://www.axs.com/vegas-golden-knight ... kin-123065

He’s shooting at a high percentage. He’s winning faceoffs. He’s blocking shots. He has been stellar on the penalty-killing unit. He’s one of the team’s leaders in hits.

Whatever Gerard Gallant has asked his third-line center to do, Eakin has delivered.

“I’m trying to stay responsible in my end and help our D,” Eakin said. “Every mistake in the playoffs can be so critical, so I’m trying to focus on making the right plays and making sure their line doesn’t hurt us.”

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/go ... n-knights/

Cody Eakin provided stability to the bottom-six forward group of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant used Eakin in many different situations such as the penalty kill and critical faceoff draws.

And in my mind, he deserves a solid grade for being a 200-foot player.

https://vegashockeyknight.com/2018/08/2 ... alex-tuch/

[Coloradam]

John Tavares Current DF 67 Requested DF 72

Tavares has taken his defensive game to a whole new level in the last 2 seasons and is right up there with the top rated defensive fwds in DHL. In 2015/16 season Tavares played a total of 3:29 SHTOI for the whole season. In 2016/17 That number climbed substantially to 73:34. So far in this 2017/18 season he has well surpassed last years totals with a whopping 127:53. Ive listed below his stats of SHTOI minutes as well as SH/G and some comparable numbers and their current DF ratings.

Player(DF) / SHTOI / SH/G
Tavares(67) 127:53 {1:34}
Bergeron(77) 116:17 {1:49}
Toews(76) 126:04 {1:42}
ROR(73) 126:08 {1:33}
J. Staal(72) 137:00 {1:44}
Palat(72) 62:12 {1:07}

https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/stats?sea ... r=0&page=4

Looking at a variety of statistics, I picked out five major contenders for the Selke this year, and we’ll start by looking at their possession impacts and puck management relative to their teammates.

The biggest surprise name on this list for most people is likely John Tavares, but he has had arguably the best season of his career, driving goal and shot attempt differentials better than almost anyone else in the NHL. Tavares also boasts the best controlled exit rate relative to his teammates, and when he can’t exit with control, he also has the top dump out success rate, meaning less time stuck in his zone than almost anyone.

But the Selke is about defence specifically, so let’s look at how these players measure up in terms of simple defensive results.

The biggest surprise here though, is Tavares. It’s not a huge surprise that Tavares would have a good goal or shot attempt differential, but the assumption from most would be that it’s his offence that drives it. This season his defensive game has taken a huge leap to the point where his shot attempt suppression has been comparable to Bergeron. His goal suppression isn’t quite as strong, but Tavares plays with Anders Lee and Josh Bailey most often, not Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

Breaking down further, let’s look at what these players are doing without the puck on their sticks.

Also showing strong here are Tavares and Thornton, who do a lot of their defensive work in the offensive zone. By keeping the pressure on and not letting teams win the puck in their own zone, and stopping breakouts, Thornton and Tavares have strong defensive impacts without having to play in their own zone as often.

Tavares specifically has seen such strong evolution in his game over the years that I hope he wins a Selke in the future, but for now it’s still Perfect Patrice.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/five ... hy-season/

Under the Isles' new coaching staff, he has added a defensive aspect to his game, averaging 0:57 minutes per game short-handed in 2016-17 and 2:02 this season.

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/2175 ... ree-agency