Season 34 Challenges Thread - Due Wednesday, October 19th.

[John - Sharks]

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

Also, you may challenge any newly created prospect without a limit.

[Nick - Philly]

Jamie Drysdale
Asking:
SP – 76
SK – 79

Skating: High-end

His skating and hockey sense are both standout attributes. He has great quickness and edge work, allowing him to generate a lot of clean exits and entries, and be elusive from pressure. He’s not a flashy skill player, but he makes a lot of clever passes and can create offense at high levels. Drysdale isn’t that big but he will defend well enough with his skating.

https://theathletic.com/2804584/2021/09 ... -the-list/

All the added ice with three skaters aside instead of five played right into Drysdale’s magnificent skating.

https://theathletic.com/2986952/2021/11 ... velopment/

Where he shines is his technique and lateral movement. Drysdale’s ability to dance around skaters both forwards and backwards using crossovers and body positioning is mesmerizing, and we’ve seen plenty of examples of him doing this at the NHL level.

https://www.crashthepond.com/articles/t ... iego-gulls

“It looks effortless when he’s doing it. And I think some of the best skaters in the world, they have that ability where they can be really moving, really skating but it doesn’t necessarily look like they’re exerting a lot of energy. It’s fluid the way that he does it. And he’s able to control the game with his skating. That’s the way the NHL is heading now.”

What makes Drysdale like other great skaters and what also sets him apart is something that has been coined “four-way skating ability.” It is the ability to not only move forward with sustained high pace but backward as well as heading from one side to the other with equal bursts.

https://theathletic.com/2683288/2021/07 ... e-skating/

Not a burner with crazy speed but his agility and movement is some of the best in the league.

[BigMac3110]

Ben Chiarot
Current SP - 68
Requested SP - 74
Current SK - 68
Requested SK - 74
Current DF - 73
Requested DF - 75


"Nimble, fast and physical, Chiarot – a 6-foot-3, 215-pound force – brings an element to the game the Jets haven’t had in recent years. The smooth-skating, puck-moving defenceman"

"He’s moved the puck pretty quickly."
https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/inflight- ... d/c-759277


"Chiarot has always been a good skater"
https://theathletic.com/1444719/2019/12 ... canadiens/


"The key to a successful rush is beating the first layer of forecheck in the defensive zone. Doing it successfully leads to attacking with numbers and with speed. This is what the Habs’ identity is all about, and Chiarot seems more and more to be adopting that style."
https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2019 ... rouin-line

"Ben Chiarot also serves as an upgrade over Jordie Benn who signed with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1st. Chiarot is an upgrade both in terms of skating and age."
(Jordie Benn currently has a 72 SP and SK)
https://awinninghabit.com/2019/07/04/mo ... n-chiarot/

“It was widely believed Chiarot was signed for his size and physicality, but it is his skating that has allowed him to thrive in Montreal.”
https://www.google.ca/url?q=https://ath ... diens/?amp

"He played most of the season on the team’s first defensive pairing alongside Shea Weber and was solid defensively"

"While being given many tough defensive assignments, he also managed a CF% of 54.4"
https://awinninghabit.com/2020/03/20/ca ... -grades/5/

"Chiarot was promoted to the top pairing to form a shutdown option against the Bruins top line. He was very successful in that role and has done well when he returns for defensive situations. Ben adds a physical element to the Canadiens team"
https://www.habsworld.net/2019/11/2019- ... d-goalies/

"The biggest reason the Habs signed Chiarot was for his ability to play his position, defence. The big burly defenceman possesses great size at 6’3”, 225lbs and he is not afraid to use it. Chiarot plays a rugged style of game and it showed with the 152 hits he threw this season. That was just 19 less than the year prior, however in nine fewer games. He also leads the team in blocked shots with 128, averaging almost two per game."

"Chiarot’s defensive play makes him the most used player on the Canadiens penalty kill. With 209:23 total minutes of ice time, Chiarot was the sixth most-used player in the league on the penalty kill."

"Chiarot even finished ahead of Captain Shea Weber in terms of minutes played, a huge testament to his defensive abilities."

"So what makes Chiarot such a good defender? Well, Chiarot is considered to be a typical stay at home defenceman. He possesses great size and reach which allows him to keep opponents to the outside. He then likes to use his body to make his opponents pay if they try to beat him wide. Chiarot has a strong hockey IQ and great positioning to keep the opponents scoring chances to a minimum. In terms of xGA/60 (expected goals against per 60) at even strength, Chiarot’s 2.38 rating is very respectable, considering the Canadiens allowed the ninth-most goals against this season and Chiarot draws the toughest matchups each and every night."
https://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/202 ... canadiens/

"Chiarot has improved his positional play in his three seasons of pro hockey and was one of the better defensemen for St. John's in the AHL playoffs. He will take inopportune penalties at times but his rugged nature fits in well with the tough-to-play-against mentality in the Jets organization."
https://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/ben_chiarot/

"earning his way onto Montreal’s top defensive pair with his unheralded skating ability and his all-around game"

"Me and Shea (Weber) would always go out first for the penalty kill, and 4-on-4"

"So I had to, every year, improve, come back stronger, come back faster, work on my game"

" I’ve always taken pride on the defensive side but, even this year, just being out there more and being defensively relied on to play against top lines every night, I feel like I got better at it as well"

"they want us to join the rush, want us to be involved"

"use positioning and being in the right spot on those nights, you can still be effective"

"The biggest thing I rely on — and I found that this year more than ever I focus on — is having my gap defensively. So, whether I’m gapping up in the neutral zone or gapping up in the defensive zone, when I’m right on top of the guy that I’m supposed to be on top of, I find that everything else in my game falls into place — whether it’s offensively because I can turn the puck over off of that and make plays, or defensively because I can get a stick on the puck or make a hit"
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/qa- ... -montreal/

Even with missing 8 games due to various reasons (injured, keeping benched for eventual trade) Chiarot ranked 13th in the league for total SH ice time played, and 8th in SH ice time for d-men playing in at last 71 games (ranks 9th overall but Hickey only played 2 games this year).
https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?repor ... ageSize=50

30th in total blocked shots
https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?repor ... ageSize=50

"What was less obvious was that Chiarot, at 6-foot-2 and 224 pounds, would display the kind of mobility he has shown off for the Canadiens." "his skating ability has shown up on a consistent basis"
"We have often seen Chiarot executing a quick spin to escape pressure and get the puck moving in the right direction. We’ve also seen him wheel around his own net with the puck and skate it out of the zone with a few good strides"
"the balance between his physical play and mobility is at the heart of what makes Chiarot so effective"
“He skates well, he’s mobile, and that allows him to close quickly and shut plays down"
https://theathletic.com/1444719/2019/12 ... canadiens/

Currently in SHL Chiarot has a 73SP/SK and a 74DF
http://www.shl.simhockeyfans.com/Page/L ... am=Rangers

Lucas Raymond(rookie)
Current SP - 75
Requested SP - 82
Current SK - 75
Requested SK - 82
Current DF - 58
Requested DF - 65

Speed/Skating section

Raymond is a fantastic skater. He has an excellent stride which leads to outstanding speed and fantastic acceleration. This is combined with excellent edgework and agility. He is extremely dangerous on the rush. His ability to change speeds as well as to quickly change directions combines to make him very hard to defend, especially in one-on-one situations. Raymond has a low centre of gravity which makes him hard to knock off the puck and allows him to fight through checks

Raymond combines his excellent skating ability with very good stickhandling. He can make plays at top speed

https://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/202 ... ng-report/

competes very hard and owns incredible skating ability

It’s impossible to pinpoint one attribute that makes Raymond one of the top prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft but his skating is top notch. He has explosive first steps, great acceleration and high top speed. He can outskate most opponents at both short and long distances. His edge work is fantastic, and it allows him to be agile and make quick turns to maneuver through tight traffic while maintaining possession of the puck. He is incredibly hard to catch, and even when opponents manage to get him up towards the boards, he can quickly squeeze himself away to escape. Raymond combines his quickness and speed with phenomenal hands and puck skills

https://dobberprospects.com/player/lucas-raymond/

His skating, passing, shooting and hockey sense have been an ideal fit for Larkin

Note that Dylan Larkin has an 85SP and 84SK, so Raymond having the speed to make him and ideal linemate for Larkin should be reflected in his ratings
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2022/01/ ... -half.html

Can split the defense for breakaways

https://sportsforecaster.com/nhl/p/1018 ... %20Raymond

Furthermore, he has terrific hands, great speed and fine work ethic

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/3 ... as-raymond

His speed and playmaking are the hallmarks of his game

His passing and creativity with the puck get the most praise, but he can also take it himself and score using his speed to get separation and a quick release to find the net

He is an elite-level skater and has hands that can keep up with his feet

Raymond will be able to take advatage of the speed and agility of his game

https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2020/ ... rolunda-hc

Defense section

Raymond is willing to work in all three zones. He supports the defence down low and works to help his teammates in defending against the cycle game

https://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/202 ... ng-report/

Very dangerous on the power play but can also be used on the penalty kill

Raymond’s competitiveness is another stand-out attribute. He rarely takes shifts off and always gives full effort when he is on the ice – he always gives off a vibe of wanting to win at all costs

https://dobberprospects.com/player/lucas-raymond/

A very well-rounded and highly skilled winger.

Raymond also gets praise for the tenacity of his game and he can create havoc on the forecheck in addition to making strong plays in the offensive zone

A nightmare to play against with his forechecking and puck-stealing ability. He also plays a strong two-way game and is a capable penalty killer

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/3 ... as-raymond



Jonas Siegenthaler
Current DF - 71
Requested DF - 75
Current SP/SK - 72
Requested SP/SK - 74

https://twitter.com/ARHockeyStats/statu ... 5263455232

Ranked as the top defenseive d-an in the league, noted as higher than:

McAvoy - 73 DF
Heiskanen - 73 DF
Spurgeon - 73 DF
Pelech - 73 DF
Pettersson - 71 DF
Tanev - 74 DF
Slavin - 74 DF
Toews - 72 DF
DeMelo - 72 DF

https://twitter.com/jvillani08/status/1 ... 8829766665

Led the league in defensive GAR and xGAR with absurd even strength play and solid PK to go with it.

His advanced numbers after this last season are absurd:
https://twitter.com/LoveNHLcom/status/1 ... 5425470464

Most notably a 98% in EV Defense, an 80% on the PK, all while not just playing against the best the opposing teams can throw at them, but without Dougie Hamilton or the puck possession driver Jack Hughes for a very large chunk of the season and in front of goalies 5, 6 and 7 on the Devils depth chart.

https://pucksandpitchforks.com/2022/06/ ... ler-mimic/
"177 defensemen played at least 750 minutes this past season. Siegenthaler was 10th in high-danger chance percentage."

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2 ... 22-season/
"On a very bad Devils team (27-46-9), Siegenthaler posted a 51.5 shot attempts percentage and 52.7 expected goals percentage at five-on-five. When Siegenthaler was out on the ice, the Devils also owned 54.9 percent of scoring chances and 57 percent of high-danger chances at five-on-five. His most common defensive partner was Damon Severson (618:19 minutes).

Siegenthaler also led the Devils’ defense in hits (98) and was second in shot blocks (106) while being whistled for only 16 minor penalties (70th among 164 NHL defensemen who played over 1000 minutes last season at five-on-five)."

https://thehockeywriters.com/devils-jon ... on-earned/
"And it’s not like Siegenthaler’s minutes with the Devils this season came against easy competition. Per PuckIQ, he played 40.4 percent of his minutes against elite competition in 2021-22, the highest number among Devils defensemen. In those minutes, the team had a Corsi for percentage of 49.1 percent and a goals share of 51.2 percent. Considering the team had the worst goaltending in the league, that’s an impressive feat."

He has also been noted to do this, in part, do to his size and mobility:
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/1 ... egenthaler

"That being said for a player of his size, Siegenthaler is a great skater, defender and doesn’t make many mistakes"
https://dobberprospects.com/player/jonas-siegenthaler/

Put shortly, the defensive numbers that Siegenthaler put up are already very impressive and top tier, but on an NJ team not known for defense it makes them insanely good and should be reflected on in his ratings

This section is more focused on Siegenthalers skating

"Skates well for a big defenseman"
https://sportsforecaster.com/nhl/p/2128 ... egenthaler

He has also been noted to do this, in part, do to his size and mobility:
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/1 ... egenthaler

"That being said for a player of his size, Siegenthaler is a great skater"
https://dobberprospects.com/player/jonas-siegenthaler/


JJ Moser(Rookie)
Current SP/SK - 72
Requested SP/SK - 77
Current DF - 70
Requested DF - 72

His smooth skating

Moser is incredibly smart with his defensive zone play and knows how to win the puck back, avoid forechecking forwards, and spark a perfect breakout. It’s simply clockwork when he is on the ice… at some point, his team will win back possession and manage a breakout that’s so seamless it looks like they’re the only ones on the ice

And this is largely thanks to Moser’s passing, which might be his best asset. That’s saying a lot considering how strong his skating is but it’s completely warranted

Janis Moser is such a good two-way defenceman. His IQ and strength dominate his defensive play, while his skating, passing, hands, and vision make his offence look seamless

. J. Moser is an all-rounder D-man with great skating skills and who is brilliant defensively. He can also play on the powerplay thanks to his good hockey sense

Janis Jérôme Moser is a smooth-skating, fast-paced defenceman, much like Nick Leddy in his prime

https://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/202 ... -is-ready/

[Chris-Wild]

Ilya Mikheyev

Current SP/SK: 75/73

He's one of the fastest skaters for anyone who has ever watched him.

“He’s just a firecracker out there. I’m happy he’s with us now because I really didn’t want to play against him. He’s just so fast and the way he thinks the game with his skill works with the speed seamlessly. It’s kind of like a McDavid-type thing where the speed alone is scary, but once you mix in the skill and the mindset with the speed, it can be pretty dangerous.”

It’s obvious that Mikheyev isn’t going to be the same player as Connor McDavid but his speed is definitely up there with some of the top skaters in the league. In addition of his speed and skill, Mikheyev stands at 6’2″ and we have seen the speed on display during these summer skates.

https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles ... 9_37836833

Asking for 82/82

=========================================================================

Current DF: 66

Even though Ilya has been producing offensively, he is more generally a defensive forward who can chip in on offense. The graphic below shows his defensive responsibility over scoring.


But don't take my word, listen to Juicey Brucie taking about his defensive prowess:

“It certainly gives you depth,” Boudreau said in an interview with Jamie Dodd and Israel Fehr on Sportsnet 650 this morning. “Especially in Mikheyev’s case, the fact that you can think a little bit of offence when you’re supposed to be totally on defence.

Mikheyev was fourth among Leafs forwards in average time-on-ice while shorthanded last season, receiving 1:24 shorthanded minutes per game.”
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/good-pe ... au-canucks

Mikheyev finished tied for third in the NHL in shorthanded goals last season, scoring four times while killing penalties for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks coach added that he “definitely” generated the most chances in the NHL while shorthanded last season, because of his great speed.

I ask his DF be bumped up to 70.

[John - Sharks]

These are due on Wednesday, October 19th.

[Habs GM]

Carson Soucy
Current SP/SK - 70
Requested SP/SK - 74
Current DF - 70
Requested DF - 73

Soucy is a 6’5″ defender who is a strong skater and puck mover for a player of his size

A bit of a late bloomer, Soucy has only 145 NHL games under his belt. However, he’s graded out quite well in terms of Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement (GAR), expected goals above replacement (xGAR), and RAPM. He’s graded out well defensively by RAPM in all three of his NHL seasons. While many of his minutes in Minnesota came on the third pairing, he is matching up against top lines more often with Seattle.

153 defensemen have played 2000+ minutes over the past three seasons. Here is how Soucy ranks in terms of GAR and xGAR on a per-minute basis:

Statistic Number Rank (of 153)
EV GAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.505(9th)
EV GAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.441(18th)
EV xGAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.412(26th)
EV xGAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.348(32nd)

That’s pretty darn impressive

Here is the list of players who rank ahead of him if we ignore penalty differential:

GAR: Ellis, McAvoy, Weegar, Makar, Hamilton, Pulock, Fox, Toews.

xGAR: Hamilton, Spurgeon, Makar, Weegar, Ekblad, DeAngelo, Toews, Fox, McAvoy, Matheson, Petry, Hedman, Orlov, Werenski, Grzelcyk, Pelech, Theodore, Josi, Holden (?), Carlson, Chychrun, Sanheim, Gosisbehere, Ellis, Fowler

"his 6’5″ frame is an asset on the penalty kill"

"Next, Soucy’s a great skater for a player of his size, so his skillset should pair nicely with Muzzin, Sandin, or Lyubushkin. While I wouldn’t call any of those players pylons, they likely all benefit from playing with someone who covers as much ground as Soucy. Sandin also doesn’t offer much in terms of reach, so if he’s going to transition into the top four, you’d like him with a partner who can help to compensate for that"

"However, Soucy’s ability to play on either side would allow you to move someone like Dermott comfortably. I do see him as an upgrade; given his skating, strength, and long reach, it’s difficult for opponents to generate offense when he’s on the ice"

"With his size and speed, it feels like he covers half of the ice at all times"

"His numbers are excellent at even strength. Given how great Toronto’s special teams have been, that’s all they really care about. I watched him play on the right side against Boston’s top lines on Thursday night; he was also on the ice when his team killed a five-on-three"

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2022/03/ ... son-soucy/

"While he saw some secondary power-play time, registering two primary assists, he saw a career-high in penalty killing time with just over 97 minutes over his 64 games"

"He led the team in plus/minus as a plus-7, one of only four players that finished the season above a plus-1 rating"

"He could find himself in the top-four, depending on how things shake up, and be back on the penalty kill"

https://thehockeywriters.com/kraken-202 ... nn-borgen/

[Habs GM]

Jacob Middleton
Current DF - 67
Requested DF - 72

Middleton has emerged as a strong defensive defender over the past few seasons. As can be seen from the stats below he is ranked high in key metrics. I am asking for a slight bump from 67 (below DHL average) to 72 DF (DHL top 90 average).

Stats:

119th SH TOI/ GP among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.
63rd +/- among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.
21st Blocked Shots/ 60 among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.
43rd Takeaways/ 60 among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.
101st Sat Rel % D among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.
92nd USat Rel % among defenders having played a minimum of 25 games.

[Habs GM]

Delete

[Habs GM]

Delete

[Habs GM]

Delete - sorry for the internet stuttering as my system was acting up this morning.

[Habs GM]

Carson Soucy
Current SP/SK - 70
Requested SP/SK - 74
Current DF - 70
Requested DF - 73

Soucy is a 6’5″ defender who is a strong skater and puck mover for a player of his size.

A bit of a late bloomer, Soucy has only 145 NHL games under his belt. However, he’s graded out quite well in terms of Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement (GAR), expected goals above replacement (xGAR), and RAPM. He’s graded out well defensively by RAPM in all three of his NHL seasons. While many of his minutes in Minnesota came on the third pairing, he is matching up against top lines more often with Seattle.

153 defensemen have played 2000+ minutes over the past three seasons. Here is how Soucy ranks in terms of GAR and xGAR on a per-minute basis:

Statistic Number Rank (of 153)
EV GAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.505(9th)
EV GAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.441(18th)
EV xGAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.412(26th)
EV xGAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.348(32nd)

That’s pretty darn impressive

Here is the list of players who rank ahead of him if we ignore penalty differential:

GAR: Ellis, McAvoy, Weegar, Makar, Hamilton, Pulock, Fox, Toews.

xGAR: Hamilton, Spurgeon, Makar, Weegar, Ekblad, DeAngelo, Toews, Fox, McAvoy, Matheson, Petry, Hedman, Orlov, Werenski, Grzelcyk, Pelech, Theodore, Josi, Holden (?), Carlson, Chychrun, Sanheim, Gosisbehere, Ellis, Fowler

his 6’5″ frame is an asset on the penalty kill

Next, Soucy’s a great skater for a player of his size, so his skillset should pair nicely with Muzzin, Sandin, or Lyubushkin. While I wouldn’t call any of those players pylons, they likely all benefit from playing with someone who covers as much ground as Soucy. Sandin also doesn’t offer much in terms of reach, so if he’s going to transition into the top four, you’d like him with a partner who can help to compensate for that

However, Soucy’s ability to play on either side would allow you to move someone like Dermott comfortably. I do see him as an upgrade; given his skating, strength, and long reach, it’s difficult for opponents to generate offense when he’s on the ice

With his size and speed, it feels like he covers half of the ice at all times

His numbers are excellent at even strength. Given how great Toronto’s special teams have been, that’s all they really care about. I watched him play on the right side against Boston’s top lines on Thursday night; he was also on the ice when his team killed a five-on-three

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2022/03/ ... son-soucy/

While he saw some secondary power-play time, registering two primary assists, he saw a career-high in penalty killing time with just over 97 minutes over his 64 games

He led the team in plus/minus as a plus-7, one of only four players that finished the season above a plus-1 rating

He could find himself in the top-four, depending on how things shake up, and be back on the penalty kill

https://thehockeywriters.com/kraken-202 ... nn-borgen/