If you're looking to dissect the Winnipeg Jets' offensive resurgence this season, starting with Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine is a good bet. But don't discount the value of the team's veterans, because a few of their more weathered names have been invaluable for the surging club.
Bryan Little, in particular, has stepped up with a career-best effort for Winnipeg in 2016-17.
The veteran is fresh off a seven-game point streak that saw him rack up seven goals and 11 total points over the latter half of January. All in all, he's amassed 14 goals and 28 points through 32 games for Winnipeg, those totals ranking fifth and sixth among Jets skaters, respectively.
This impressive production marks a notable step forward for Little. The 29-year-old has five 20-goal seasons on his resume, but is currently scoring at the highest goals per game pace of his career (0.44). His overall scoring pace is similarly a career-high, with Little rolling along at a rate of 0.88 points per game.
The wily veteran's production has earned him a plum gig as of late, skating between star wingers Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers.
According to head coach Paul Maurice, the line assignment speaks to Little's growing value for the club.
"We don't hear much about him around the league or his importance," Maurice told The Canadian Press recently. "But he's been so important to us - power play, faceoffs. Every time I put him with the two young players, their game settles right down.
"He has a great calming effect on them in terms of what they feel they need to try to get accomplished every time they touch the puck."
That steadiness has led to some exceptional numbers for Little himself this season. While he's a top-six scorer on the team in terms of straight goal and point counts, he ranks much higher when that production is measured against his ice-time.
Little, in fact, ranks third on the team in points per 60 minutes, behind only Scheifele and Laine, and second in goals per 60 minutes, behind only Laine.
He doesn't come cheap, but as of right now, the former first-round draft pick is living up to every penny of his $4.7-million annual cap hit.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' road to the 2016 Stanley Cup wasn't without a few bumps and bruises.
A horrid first half led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Johnston, and a lengthy absence for injured star pivot Evgeni Malkin further added to the Penguins' struggles. It took a number of astute moves to keep the club afloat and push it to the second championship of the Sidney Crosby era.
But only a small part of that equation came at the trade deadline. After years of being one of the biggest players leading up to deadline day, Pittsburgh took a different approach last year, and the results speak for themselves.
That in mind, here are three reasons the Penguins can win big once again by avoiding the blockbusters:
1. Sticking to minor tweaks paid off in 2016
A quick review.
The Penguins made some significant changes to their roster once Rutherford took over - the most noteworthy being the trade that sent James Neal to Nashville in exchange for Patric Hornqvist, and the swap that brought Phil Kessel to town from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Both of those trades happened in the offseason (Hornqvist in 2014, Kessel in 2015), as did the deal for former Vancouver Canucks pivot Nick Bonino, who came to town less than a month after Kessel.
Rutherford made just three in-season deals prior to the 2016 deadline, two of them far ahead of time. Trevor Daley was added in December - with Rob Scuderi sent to Chicago - and Rutherford acquired Carl Hagelin in January in exchange for David Perron and Adam Clendening.
His only major-league deal in the days leading up to the deadline? A 2016 third-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Justin Schultz.
None of those three trades seemed all too significant at the time. Of course, all three of those players became key contributors for the club because they fit perfectly with the team's style of play - particularly Daley, who's been one of the club's top defensemen since, and Hagelin, who caught fire as part of the "HBK" line.
2. Pittsburgh knows what happens when you go big and miss
Midway through the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, the Penguins were rolling through a 12-game win streak, the longest such stretch of victories of any team that season.
The black and gold looked well-stocked and ready to dominate, and did just that over the short stretch of remaining regular-season games, winning eight of 10.
But the wheels came off during the playoffs. Pittsburgh had enough raw talent to make it to the Eastern Conference final, but once the competition ramped up, the club found itself swept in four straight by the Boston Bruins.
A number of factors contributed to the early exit - the injury bug certainly did the Penguins no favors - but it's fair to assume the significant turnover in the locker room just one month before the playoffs didn't help matters.
Iginla, in particular, wound up being a prime example of a home-run attempt that fell well short. The veteran never quite fit, and the team's offense sunk.
3. Rutherford has options, but the Penguins have all they need
The Penguins manager holds one of the league's most coveted trade chips heading into the deadline, as netminder Marc-Andre Fleury seems a clear candidate to move.
But there's no reason Pittsburgh should shake things up with a big-time move unless something undeniable comes along - especially since that deal will likely alter the club's proven chemistry moving forward.
Adding a notable piece in exchange for Fleury could help the Penguins deal with their injury woes, but if everyone is due back before the playoffs - as they appear to be - holding off might be the better option.
Pittsburgh still boasts exceptional depth down the middle with Crosby, Malkin, Bonino, and Matt Cullen. And the club struck gold last season with its current crop of wingers.
In fact, the Penguins have enough talented young forwards on the cusp - particularly Scott Wilson, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Jake Guentzel - that they're rotating a few notable names fighting to claim roster spots. Pittsburgh did just fine with that formula last year, as Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust clawed their way into central roles in the top six.
A minor move or two to shore things up may help the club down the stretch. But given the fact that Pittsburgh brought back nearly its entire Stanley Cup roster in 2016-17, too much change could derail what could be a prime opportunity to repeat as champs.
Following a healthy scratch on Jan. 5, in which high-priced sniper Mikkel Boedker got to watch his team from the stands, the Danish winger has come back with a vengeance.
In the 14 games since, Boedker's production has more than tripled what he put up through the season's early goings, his first year in San Jose.
Date Range
GP
G
A
Pts
Pts/GP
Since Jan. 5
14
4
6
10
0.71
Before Jan. 5
38
2
6
8
0.21
The struggle was real. With single-digit points in nearly half the season, Boedker's big-money contract looked like an even bigger mistake by Sharks general manager Doug Wilson after he signed the winger to a four-year, $16-million pact in the offseason.
Things were so bad that Boedker's name was floated as a possibility for the Vegas expansion draft, which would mark his fourth team in just over a year. Boedker was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2008 and spent his career in the desert until a trade to the Colorado Avalanche last February.
But in signing in San Jose, Boekder reunited with coach Peter DeBoer, who was behind the bench for his one season with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. That year, Boedker finished second in team scoring with 73 points in 63 games.
The two appear to have rediscovered that chemistry.
"That's what we need from him," DeBoer said after Boedker scored a hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 10. "These type of games were coming. He just took his foot off the gas for a couple days and got it back. He's in for a big second half. We need him."
In recent days, Boedker has seemingly found that comfort, lined up with center Logan Couture and veteran Patrick Marleau. The three have combined for 22 points in the past six games.
No doubt DeBoer and Sharks fans alike hope the trio can keep up that sort of production.
The starting netminder for the Minnesota Wild has taken on a busy workload this season, and that could be contributing to his recent dip in performance.
In his past 13 outings, dating back to Dec. 29, Dubnyk has allowed more than three goals in eight games. He allowed four in three of those matches and five in a defeat to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Over the stretch, Dubnyk's save percentage has sagged to .900, while his GAA has climbed to 2.84. Compare it to the first part of the season and the difference is staggering. Through the first 27 games of 2016-17, Dubnyk owned a .947 save rate and a sparking 1.58 GAA.
It's a different workload for Dubnyk with the Wild, on pace for 64 games after taking on 67 a year ago. Upon his arrival to Minnesota during the 2014-15 campaign, Dubnyk played all but one game down the stretch, making 39 appearances. He's also played 16 playoff games over the last two years.
You can't blame Wild coach Bruce Boudreau for regularly relying on Dubnyk, with backup Darcy Kuemper contributing subpar performances when he's been called upon. While Kuemper has come away with the win in four of his past six starts, it hasn't been without difficulty, as he's allowed four goals on three of those occasions, posting a bloated 3.00 GAA over the stretch.
It's a stark contrast from a year ago, when Kuemper proved reliable in 21 games, earning a .915 save percentage and 2.43 GAA. The 26-year-old was once a trusted No. 2 but his drop off in play has left few options for Boudreau.
Cap space is tight in Minnesota, but the team should consider investigating a reliable second stringer prior to the March 1 trade deadline. Without doing so, the Wild risk putting their best season in franchise history at stake.
The Edmonton Oilers goaltender was at it again Sunday, earning his fifth shutout of the season in a 1-0 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens. Talbot stopped all 22 shots he faced in 65 minutes, and didn't allow a goal in the skills competition.
With the clean sheet, Talbot tied his career high for shutouts in a season, matching the five he recorded in just 36 games with the New York Rangers in 2014-15. His strong play that season backing up Henrik Lundqvist - and filling in when The King was injured - changed the trajectory of his career.
Talbot was traded to the Oilers - seemingly forever in search of a No. 1 goalie - ahead of the 2015 draft for three picks (a second, third, and seventh). And, it's safe to say he was worth the price.
The 29-year-old has started 49 of the Oilers' 55 games this season, and along with Connor McDavid is a huge reason why Edmonton's poised for playoff hockey for the first time since 2006. It's been a while.
Brett Connolly appears to have finally found a home in the NHL.
It's on the Washington Capitals' third line, more specifically, where the 24-year-old is in the midst of his most potent season to date.
Playing alongside Lars Eller and Andre Burakovsky, the winger recorded his 10th goal of the season in his 39th game on Sunday. In so doing, he eclipsed the nine goals scored in 71 games with the Boston Bruins last season, and kept him well on pace to top the career-high 12 goals scored as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014-15.
Not bad for a player making $850,000.
How he got here
While his goal totals aren't blowing anyone away quite yet, Connolly is finally starting to show the kind of output expected when the Lightning selected him sixth overall in 2010.
After scoring 46 goals in 59 games for the WHL's Prince George Cougars the season after he was drafted, Connolly was unable to find a groove in the NHL but became a fixture at the AHL level, where he averaged 0.88 points per game over two seasons.
In the end, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman decided to cut bait, sending Connolly to the Bruins at the 2015 trade deadline for Boston's second-round picks at the 2015 and 2016 NHL Drafts. He broke his finger in practice before appearing in a single game with his new club, and was simply unable to find the net, scoring nine goals on 104 shots in 76 games in black and gold.
He became available in July after Boston decided not to sign him to a qualifying offer. In swooped the Capitals, who in adding both Eller and Connolly as free agents are now reaping the benefits of significant scoring depth on the third line.
What's next?
Scheduled to become a restricted free agent at season's end, Connolly is not only proving he belongs in the NHL, but is working toward added term and salary on his next deal, be it with the Capitals or elsewhere.
If he keeps it up and helps Washington achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, he'll be considered one of the best signings of the 2016 offseason, at the very least.
For the second straight season T.J. Oshie has hit the 20-goal plateau.
The Washington Capitals forward reached the mark in style Sunday afternoon, blasting a shot top corner that subsequently destroyed the water bottle of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Peter Budaj.
The goal gave the Capitals a 4-0 lead in the second period, a day after Budaj shut out the Philadelphia Flyers. Jeff Zatkoff relieved Budaj to start the third period.
The 21-year-old forward suffered an ACL injury in his left knee and has been ruled out of action until training camp in September.
Fabbri was hit in front of the Blues' bench by Pittsburgh's Carter Rowney on Saturday. He collided with the boards and was unable to leave the ice without assistance.
Hit on the side boards forced Robby Fabbri to leave the game, hopefully he's alright. pic.twitter.com/h2yCaURmND
In 59 games this season, Fabbri had recorded 11 goals and 15 assists, ranking sixth among his teammates with 29 points. His absence is sure to be felt by a Blues club currently sitting outside the playoff picture.
As a result of the injury, St. Louis recalled forwards Kenny Agostino and Magnus Paajarvi from the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
Alex Ovechkin's family was on hand Sunday afternoon as the Washington Capitals' captain was honored for reaching the 1,000-point plateau.
Prior to Sunday's matinee against the Los Angeles Kings, the NHL's Jim Gregory presented Ovechkin with a Tiffany crystal, while team owner Ted Leonsis gave the captain a golden stick.
Ovechkin reached the milestone with a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 11. Since hitting the mark, the 31-year-old has been on a tear, picking up four goals and 12 points in 11 games.
The new slimmer pants were made mandatory as of Saturday night, and after going nearly perfect in a 1-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, Rinne hinted that he actually prefers the new equipment.
Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen didn't throw much shade toward the new pants despite allowing five goals on 41 shots in a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins, noting they did little to impede his play.
"No, not really," Andersen said post game. "Maybe restricting a little bit moving around but that's how it is with new gear. I'm sure I'll focus on getting that fixed."
In all, 74 goals were scored in 13 games Saturday night, an average of nearly six goals per game, but only time will tell if the new pants will lead to more goals.
