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This season has been a remarkable story for players that have had aspersions cast onto them recently and yet have thrived like no one's business....Here are my top ten guys who have really gotten their "Come-Uppance."
#10 Dany Heatley
Twelth in scoring with 17 points in 15 games. It pains me to put Heatley on this list, because I was so opposed to the way that he handled this whole situation this summer, but it must feel good right now to be Dany Heatley. Tied with Stevem Stamkos for the PP Goal Lead with 5, Heatley may indeed be the reason that a Stanley Cup will finally take a ride down El Camino.
#9 Rene Bourque
I remember visiting Chicago the year prior to the Hawks getting Kane and company and things were maybe at their lowest point in Hawks history. I watched the morning skate with the most negative and miserable beat writer you'd ever want to meet. I remember Rene Bourque staying on the ice after everyone else had left and he was doing drills, just flying out there. I asked a beat writer if Bourque was playing and he said that the Hawks didn't like him and therefore he was a healthy scratch. Since then every season he sort of dwindled in production due to circumstances and injuries. But you could always see the speed and the talent. So far this year everything has changed and Rene is the #2 scorer on a very talented Calgary Flames team. He still needs to work on his play in his own end, but Rene is looking like a star these days.
#8 Ryan Smyth
OK, so how many people thought the Kings were nuts for picking up Smyth's salary? How many people drafted him before the season in your local hockey pools. Ryan Smyth is currently 7th in scoring in the NHL and playing the best hockey he has played in years on a line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Sure his numbers are inflated playing with the #1 scorer in the NHL, but 8-11-19 in 15 games is no mirage. Ryan Garner brought up the other day during the Hockeybuzz Live Podcast brought up the fact that Captain Canada may indeed also be inspired by a shot at Team Canada for the Olympics. It is possible now, and who would have EVER thought that? Couldn't happen to a better man.
#7 Tomas Kaberle
One common denominator with my list is these are players that were either written off, offered around, or the fanbase was crying for a trade. TK is the leading scoring defenseman in the NHL on a TERRIBLE offensive team right now. He has a remarkable 15 assists that puts him as #2 in assists only 1 behind Joe Thornton who plays with an All-Star team around him. One thing is for certain, those who said Kaberle's trade value would never be higher than it was prior to the season were VERY wrong. Should the leave decide to go selling at the deadline they may just be able to get a King's ransome. What contender wouldn't want to have the top score d-man?
#6 Vinny Prospal
The first of two players in a row here that were either waived or bought out in the last year by their former teams! Prospal was brought to Tampa to play with the other Vinny who really loved playing with Vinny. How that didn't work out and Vinny ends up tearing it up in NY with Gaborik is beyond comprehension. But I certainly don't blame Tampa for dumping him. Before that the Flyers considered benching him during the playoffs! Vinny is a bizarre player who is definitely a complimentary player who makes others better. But he can be completely inconsistent, a distant guy in the locker room, and at times doesn't appear to be able to skate at NHL speeds. Yet right now he is playing with one of the fastest players in the NHL and was just named Assistant Captain of the Rangers.
#5 Rich Peverly
Last year released by the one team in the NHL that is dying for scoring, the Predators, Peverly has torn it up in Atlanta. And he does it all. 16 points in 11 games! 3 game winning goals, which means that he has a game winning goal in over 25% of the games he has played. Atlanta has only won 6 games. Peverly has won half of them. He is 19th in scoring and the ONLY player in the top 40 scorers that hasn't played in at least 12 games. (James van Riemsdyk is currently 40th and has played in only 10 games.) Peverly has 4 power play goals. All for a player who was released from the Predators. Again, not to blame the Preds at the time...he hadn't really shown that he could play at this level in Nashville.
#4 Marian Gaborik
Everyone knew the Rangers traded Gomez to get Heatley and Gaborik was really an after thought. At the time, many felt that the signing was another insane signing by Glen Sather. Gaborik has always produced when healthy. I was especially concerned with his health in NY City, where they don't love players that are injury prone and the questions would be rampant if he was making so much money and not playing. Right now, they love him. The Big Apple is Gabby's oyster. Again, you could have had him at the deadline last year for very little.
#3 Craig Anderson
We always wondered if he was a #1. In Florida when he played, he did have a tendency to play very well at times, but no one saw this. Anderson wasn't even invited to the USA Olympic Camp. And the team only invited 3 goalies! Now, the questions are out if Anderson could be a threat to start. You can be assured that he will be one of the three with Miller and Thomas. Right now, the job is Miller's based on his start for sure. But the Avalanche are 10-3-2 and this has to feel good if you are Anderson.
#2 Dustin Penner
Ok, #1 and #2 should probably be 1 and 1a, but I am going to put Penner at #2. This Halloween apparently Penner and Cogliano went as Dany Heatley and his No Trade Clause. That is the only reason Penner is even in Edmonton. Has there been a player that you could have obtained last year in a trade any easier than Penner? If you would take the contract he was yours. I was told that by countless GMs. After signing the big deal, the expectations were a nightmare on Dustin. Now he is the 6th leading scorer in the NHL and the only player in the top 15 who is playing under 19 minutes a game. Penner is showing all the heart so many accused him of not having after the offer sheet fiasco. Think he sleeps better this year?
and the number 1....
Patrick Marleau
He was offered around like crazy. I was told the only reason he wasn't moved was not the No Trade Clause as much as it was Doug Wilson's belief that he should get more for Marleau. I have that on great authority. He was stripped of the Captain "C" minutes before he showed up to talk to the Canadian Media at the Olympic Camp. And Patrick Marleau doesn't love controversy. He is a quiet guy. He doesn't play on a line with Thornton or Heatley. And yet Patrick Marleau is third in the NHL in scoring with 21 points in 15 games. He is playing with players who are essentially putting up terrible numbers around him. Ryan Clowe has struggled mightily. Yet Thornton is a -1, Heatley is EVEN. Marleau is not only outscoring them, he is a +6. It will get very interesting for Doug Wilson now, because I really believe they all penciled Marleau gone at the end of the season. Wilson made the Heatley trade with that in mind. Can you NOT re-sign a guy if he ends up in the top ten in scoring and leads you to a Stanley Cup?
Honorable mentions....Ryan Miller, Stamkos, Hemsky, Brad Richards....
The HockeyBuzzcast Live! Listen Below at 1pm.
#10 Dany Heatley
Twelth in scoring with 17 points in 15 games. It pains me to put Heatley on this list, because I was so opposed to the way that he handled this whole situation this summer, but it must feel good right now to be Dany Heatley. Tied with Stevem Stamkos for the PP Goal Lead with 5, Heatley may indeed be the reason that a Stanley Cup will finally take a ride down El Camino.
#9 Rene Bourque
I remember visiting Chicago the year prior to the Hawks getting Kane and company and things were maybe at their lowest point in Hawks history. I watched the morning skate with the most negative and miserable beat writer you'd ever want to meet. I remember Rene Bourque staying on the ice after everyone else had left and he was doing drills, just flying out there. I asked a beat writer if Bourque was playing and he said that the Hawks didn't like him and therefore he was a healthy scratch. Since then every season he sort of dwindled in production due to circumstances and injuries. But you could always see the speed and the talent. So far this year everything has changed and Rene is the #2 scorer on a very talented Calgary Flames team. He still needs to work on his play in his own end, but Rene is looking like a star these days.
#8 Ryan Smyth
OK, so how many people thought the Kings were nuts for picking up Smyth's salary? How many people drafted him before the season in your local hockey pools. Ryan Smyth is currently 7th in scoring in the NHL and playing the best hockey he has played in years on a line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Sure his numbers are inflated playing with the #1 scorer in the NHL, but 8-11-19 in 15 games is no mirage. Ryan Garner brought up the other day during the Hockeybuzz Live Podcast brought up the fact that Captain Canada may indeed also be inspired by a shot at Team Canada for the Olympics. It is possible now, and who would have EVER thought that? Couldn't happen to a better man.
#7 Tomas Kaberle
One common denominator with my list is these are players that were either written off, offered around, or the fanbase was crying for a trade. TK is the leading scoring defenseman in the NHL on a TERRIBLE offensive team right now. He has a remarkable 15 assists that puts him as #2 in assists only 1 behind Joe Thornton who plays with an All-Star team around him. One thing is for certain, those who said Kaberle's trade value would never be higher than it was prior to the season were VERY wrong. Should the leave decide to go selling at the deadline they may just be able to get a King's ransome. What contender wouldn't want to have the top score d-man?
#6 Vinny Prospal
The first of two players in a row here that were either waived or bought out in the last year by their former teams! Prospal was brought to Tampa to play with the other Vinny who really loved playing with Vinny. How that didn't work out and Vinny ends up tearing it up in NY with Gaborik is beyond comprehension. But I certainly don't blame Tampa for dumping him. Before that the Flyers considered benching him during the playoffs! Vinny is a bizarre player who is definitely a complimentary player who makes others better. But he can be completely inconsistent, a distant guy in the locker room, and at times doesn't appear to be able to skate at NHL speeds. Yet right now he is playing with one of the fastest players in the NHL and was just named Assistant Captain of the Rangers.
#5 Rich Peverly
Last year released by the one team in the NHL that is dying for scoring, the Predators, Peverly has torn it up in Atlanta. And he does it all. 16 points in 11 games! 3 game winning goals, which means that he has a game winning goal in over 25% of the games he has played. Atlanta has only won 6 games. Peverly has won half of them. He is 19th in scoring and the ONLY player in the top 40 scorers that hasn't played in at least 12 games. (James van Riemsdyk is currently 40th and has played in only 10 games.) Peverly has 4 power play goals. All for a player who was released from the Predators. Again, not to blame the Preds at the time...he hadn't really shown that he could play at this level in Nashville.
#4 Marian Gaborik
Everyone knew the Rangers traded Gomez to get Heatley and Gaborik was really an after thought. At the time, many felt that the signing was another insane signing by Glen Sather. Gaborik has always produced when healthy. I was especially concerned with his health in NY City, where they don't love players that are injury prone and the questions would be rampant if he was making so much money and not playing. Right now, they love him. The Big Apple is Gabby's oyster. Again, you could have had him at the deadline last year for very little.
#3 Craig Anderson
We always wondered if he was a #1. In Florida when he played, he did have a tendency to play very well at times, but no one saw this. Anderson wasn't even invited to the USA Olympic Camp. And the team only invited 3 goalies! Now, the questions are out if Anderson could be a threat to start. You can be assured that he will be one of the three with Miller and Thomas. Right now, the job is Miller's based on his start for sure. But the Avalanche are 10-3-2 and this has to feel good if you are Anderson.
#2 Dustin Penner
Ok, #1 and #2 should probably be 1 and 1a, but I am going to put Penner at #2. This Halloween apparently Penner and Cogliano went as Dany Heatley and his No Trade Clause. That is the only reason Penner is even in Edmonton. Has there been a player that you could have obtained last year in a trade any easier than Penner? If you would take the contract he was yours. I was told that by countless GMs. After signing the big deal, the expectations were a nightmare on Dustin. Now he is the 6th leading scorer in the NHL and the only player in the top 15 who is playing under 19 minutes a game. Penner is showing all the heart so many accused him of not having after the offer sheet fiasco. Think he sleeps better this year?
and the number 1....
Patrick Marleau
He was offered around like crazy. I was told the only reason he wasn't moved was not the No Trade Clause as much as it was Doug Wilson's belief that he should get more for Marleau. I have that on great authority. He was stripped of the Captain "C" minutes before he showed up to talk to the Canadian Media at the Olympic Camp. And Patrick Marleau doesn't love controversy. He is a quiet guy. He doesn't play on a line with Thornton or Heatley. And yet Patrick Marleau is third in the NHL in scoring with 21 points in 15 games. He is playing with players who are essentially putting up terrible numbers around him. Ryan Clowe has struggled mightily. Yet Thornton is a -1, Heatley is EVEN. Marleau is not only outscoring them, he is a +6. It will get very interesting for Doug Wilson now, because I really believe they all penciled Marleau gone at the end of the season. Wilson made the Heatley trade with that in mind. Can you NOT re-sign a guy if he ends up in the top ten in scoring and leads you to a Stanley Cup?
Honorable mentions....Ryan Miller, Stamkos, Hemsky, Brad Richards....
The HockeyBuzzcast Live! Listen Below at 1pm.
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