Adaptability is the key component to not only playing NHL-caliber hockey, but ensuring you stick around for the long haul. When it comes to rookies, raw talent will only get you so far before the rest of the league starts to figure you out, be it during the course of a season or in your subsequent campaign(s). (Are you listening Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy?) The second year is really a time of transition for newbies. While there are those (Zach Bogosian, Steven Stampkos, Bobby Ryan, Pekka Rinne) who’ve taken that initial blush of success and raised their overall game, below are a list of players whose great first-year fortunes haven’t quite yet translated to sophomore success.
SLUMPING SOPHS
Patrik Berglund (C, STL) – One of the more effective weapons that came out of that crew of St. Louis Blues young bucks who made an impressive late season push was 2006 first-round draft pick Patrik Berglund. But whereas he notched 21 goals and 47 points in 76 games during the 2008-2009 season, he’s only accrued a mere 6 points through 25 games this year. Berglund has been busted down to third-line status and while the Blues are swooning as a team, the Swedish pivot doesn’t show any signs of emerging from his slump any time soon.
Steve Mason (G, CLS) – If as Craig Nettles once said about teammate/closer Sparky Lyle’s going from “Cy Young to Sayonara” after winning the aforementioned award before seeing the Yankees acquire eventual successor Goose Gossage the following season, how do you explain Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Steve Mason? After nailing down the rookie grail that is the Calder Cup in 2008-2009, Mason has been caught in quite a tailspin through 24 games. Sporting a 10-8-5 W-T-OTL record, Mason is also carrying a ridiculously pedestrian .892 SV% and 3.29 GAA. Fellow Columbus sophomore Derek Brassard isn’t doing much better, but at least he can point to the season-ending injury he suffered last December as a possible excuse.
Erik Ersberg (G, LA) – Going into this season, it seemed as if there might have been a goaltending duel pending for the Los Angeles Kings given how well Swedish netminder Erik Ersberg battled Jonathan Quick and Jason LaBarbera for starts last year. And while Ersberg posted an 8-11-5 W-T-OTL for an inconsistent Kings squad to go with an impressive 2.64 GAA and serviceable.900 SV%, he’s taken a backseat to Quick this season, playing in only 29 of 32 tilts. Even though he’s racked up a 2-1-0 record, Ersberg should be riding the pine given his.837 SV% and wretched 4.10 GAA.
Claude Giroux (RW, PHI) – One of this year’s more frustrating fantasy hockey draft picks, Claude Giroux only posted modest numbers for the Philadelphia Flyers last year, putting up 27 points in 42 games played last season. But it was during the playoffs where Giroux planted the seeds of heightened expectations. In addition to scoring 5 points in 6 games, the Ontario native particularly impressed during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins when he not only scored his first career playoff goal, but also assisted on a shortie in the same contest. This season, despite logging major minutes on the first line and second power-play unit, Giroux only has 18 points in 29 games to show for his troubles. The hope is that he’ll prove to be as effective as fellow sub-six foot point-a-game dynamo/teammate Daniel Briere minus the constant trips to the IR.
Fabian Brunnstrom (LW-RW, DAL) – Despite going undrafted, Fabian Brunnstrom was the subject of a bidding war between the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks entering the 2008-2009 season after posting impressive numbers in the Swedish Elite League (SEL). Brunnstrom chose to sign an incentive-laden two-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars that could have easily increased his salary to $2.5 million annually. Even though the Swedish winger tallied a decent 29 points in 55 games, (with 17 of those points being goals), the future seemed particularly bright after he became only the third player, (along with Alex Smart and Real Cloutier), to score a hat trick in his debut game. Reality is a fourth line role as fellow sophs James Neal and Loui Eriksson have outshone and outplayed him. Brunnstrom is not long for the NHL beyond this season and his landing with the Stars or any other club next year would be a longshot at best.
DL DEBUTS
Ray Emery (G, PHI) – After making what seemed to be a triumphant return to the NHL following a mutually disastrous parting from the Ottawa Senators and a tumultuous year abroad in the KHL, Ray Emery is instead on the IR with a lower abdominal tear. The Philadelphia Flyers starter played through the injury for almost a month and in addition to posting an atrocious 5.34 GAA and equally putrid .806 SV%, some unfairly point to his shoddy play resulting in the firing of Flyers coach John Stevens. Be that as it may, Emery is slated to miss up to six weeks after getting surgery on December 8 to fix the aforementioned injury.
Joe Corvo (D, CAR) – Right when goalie Cam Ward returned from a month-long DL stint caused by a skate laceration, blueliner Joe Corvo got sidelined with the same injury. Carolina Hurricanes fans can thank Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, whose role in the accidental gashing came during a collision that occurred during first period of a 3-2 Canes loss on November 30. But given that Corvo was the proud owner of 12 points and a -10 plus/minus rating through 27 games, there would be those who’d say Alzner was doing you a favor.
Daniel Carcillo (LW, PHI) – What in Steve Downey is going on? Daniel Carcillo got suspended for four games for sucker punching Matt Bradley of the Washington Capitals. Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren not surprisingly disagrees and in the meantime, the human hockey suspension that is Carcillo will be out of the lineup until the Flyers face off against the Boston Bruins on December 14. Obviously, look elsewhere for your PIMS until Carcillo laces ’em up again.
David Jones (RW, COL) – It was less than a month ago that I was touting David Jones. Not only had Jones rebounded from shoulder surgery that ended his 2008-2009 season, but he was playing a major role in the Colorado Avalanche’s resurgence skating on the first line with Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski. History somewhat repeated itself when Jones became the victim of yet another season-ending injury. This time, it’s a torn ACL in his left knee that was caused by Minnesota Wild forward Chuck Kobasew falling on Jones’ leg late in the third period of a 3-2 November 28 OT loss. With four to six months of rehab ahead of him, don’t expect to see the Dartmouth alum back with the Avalanche unless they make a lengthy playoff run.
Rotislav Klesla (D, CB) – Considered by many to be the best defenseman on the Columbus Blue Jackets, the oft-injured Rotislave Klesla reverted to form after getting put into the boards by defenseman Barret Jackman during a November 30 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Surgery to repair two torn tendons in Klesla’s groin also turned up an abdominal tear. Grueling rehab will be part of a six-to-eight week recovery period.
Teemu Selanne (RW, ANA) – The Anaheim Ducks took a major offensive hit when sniper Teemu Selanne sustained a broken left hand after getting hit by a Karlis Skrastins shot during a 3-1, December 3 loss to the Dallas Stars. After undergoing surgery and a projected four-to-six week DL stint, Selanne is confident he’ll be back two weeks sooner and will be skating for the Ducks by January 1. Selanne’s owners and Anaheim management are keeping their fingers crossed given how much the team is floundering this season.
Danny Cleary (RW, DET) – St. Louis Blues blueliner Barret Jackman gets a major shoutout after being the culprit for yet another player landing on this week’s edition of DL Debuts. Jackman’s second victim is Detroit Red Wing Danny Cleary, playing for a club already decimated by injuries. Currently third in scoring on the team behind Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, Cleary was leveled by a neutral ice Jackman hit during a 1-0 shutout loss to the Blues. A separated shoulder earned the native Newfoundlander a month of recovery time.
WAIVER WIRE FLIERS
Chris Stewart (RW, COL) – As mentioned above, the Colorado Avalanche took a major hit when David Jones went down with a season-ending knee injury. Luckily, fellow second-year sensation Chris Stewart stepped into Jones’ role on the first line alongside Stastny and Wolski. Credit goes to first-year coach Joe Sacco, who Stewart played under at Lake Erie of the American Hockey League. Rebounding from an early-season demotion to Lake Erie, the Toronto native spent the past ten games through December 9 putting the biscuit in the basket five times and adding eight helpers to go with his back-to-back game-winning goals. Having already tied last year’s 53 game/19 point career point total in 28 games, Stewart’s 14% Yahoo League ownership status makes him quite the stealthy waiver wire pickup.
Martin Erat (LW, NSH) – Will this be the year Nashville Predator Martin Erat cures his streaky ways? Only time will tell but in the meantime, he’s reaping fantasy hockey gold playing on the first line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan. Erat’s recent five-game stretch included a ridiculous nine points garnered that included a four point effort in a 4-2 December 8 victory over the Vancouver Canucks that found the Czech sniper also potting a hat trick. With JP Dumont waiting to flip-flop Erat back onto the third line, monitor this situation closely.
Antii Miettinen (RW, MIN) – First-year coach Todd Richards has gotten the Minnesota Wild to recover from a 3-9 start that marked the end of the first month. They’ve since gone on a 10-4-3 tear. Even with a handful of players out with concussions, the Wild has found a way to get it done, largely on the backs of the Andrew Brunette/Mikko Koivu/Antii Miettinen triumvirate. While free agent signee Martin Havlat is struggling to adapt, Miettinen is filling his first line role. In fact, in the eight games running through December 9, the Finnish winger has notched a pair of assists and seven goals in those tilts, including a pair of game-winners. His days are numbered as he’ll undoubtedly fall down the depth chart if and when Havlat ever pulls it together, so enjoy the party while you can.
Nigel Dawes (LW, CAL) – A bargain basement baby who is pulling down $800,000 for the year, Nigel Dawes is rewarding the Calgary Flames for picking him up off waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes. The speedy 2003 New York Rangers fifth-found draft pick has landed on the first line alongside captain Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen and responded with five goals in the past eight games. Dawes can be ridden for as long as he’s lining up alongside Iginla and Jokinen.
Randy Jones (D, LA) – After being claimed off re-entry waivers on October 29, longtime Philadelphia Flyer Randy Jones might have harbored some resentment given the high expectations saddling his old club. But with how badly the Flyers have flamed out in the past month, apparently Left Coast living is agreeing with Jones, who has settled in nicely through 15 games. All to the tune of 11 points, a +2 plus/minus rating and one game-winning goal to go with his role on the second power-play unit.