Janne Kuokkanen has been recalled for the second time in three days, presumably with the intention of actually giving the poor kid some games.
He has definitely earned a look, combining to pile up 48 points in 56 games with Charlotte and Binghamton.
I think he is capable of holding his own at the NHL level right now, and I’d like to see the 21-year-old afforded a real opportunity to do so.
Please, for the love of all that is right in this world, do not insert him into the lineup to play a 4th line role with Kevin Rooney and John Hayden. That’s not his game.
He is a very smart player with solid puck skills. His talents would go to waste in that role. That’s not where he’s going to play if he pans out as planned, so it doesn’t make sense to put him in that spot now.
Quite honestly, I’d like to see him given a test drive at LW1.
I think it’s fair to say Miles Wood is not the answer there. At times, I think Wood is made out to be a worse player than he actually is. That being said, he is a straight line net driver who takes a ton of shots (good and bad) and possessions generally end once the puck hits his tape. You don’t want that kind of player with Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri, and it was crystal clear the Hughes at LW1 thing was not working.
Why not give Kuokkanen a look for a couple games? I know this better run of play has people in dream land but this team is absolutely not making the playoffs.
The Devils should be trying things out so they know what they can and can’t go to next season when the games matter again.
I know Sami Vatanen’s injury status was wonky as heck but the Devils didn’t trade him to Carolina, knowing Kuokkanen could be the only asset of value coming back, for the hell of it. They clearly valued Kuokkanen.
Now show it.
•••
Everybody knows Mackenzie Blackwood has played very well in recent months. I’m not sure everybody realizes just *how* well. I mean, it is legitimately defensible to say he has been the best goaltender in the league.
Since December 1st, Blackwood has appeared in 28 games. He owns a .940 save percentage at 5v5 – placing him behind only Anton Khudobin and Tuukka Rask, two guys playing on elite defensive teams – and has conceded just 43 goals on 55.31 expected. That differential is more than double that of the 2nd place goaltender.
What’s remarkable about Blackwood is he has excelled to this extent facing more than 34 shots per 60 at 5v5. That’s a large workload.
If you watch the Devils for any amount of time you’ll realize plenty of the shots he faces are of high quality. Blackwood has been fantastic against those, too, ranking 2nd among 58(!) eligible goaltenders in high-danger save percentage since December 1st.
If you want to know how New Jersey is piling up wins with the likes of Dakota Mermis, Connor Carrick, Freddy Claesson and Mirco Mueller playing on a nightly basis, well, you have your answer.
We're really starting to see Blackwood's name come up in the Calder conversation and that recognition is most definitely deserved.