It seemed to me throughout the year like the 2014/15 season was a season that players really had to work for points. Not one player surpassed the 90 point threshold; that’s a first in decades. Looking back in time, all the way back into the 80’s when Gretzky was throwing up 200 points a season. Things have slowed down on point production over the years.
1967-68 was the last season that point totals were below 90 at seasons end. Stan Mikita scored 87 points that year and had the most points in the league. Obviously the overall talent league wide has improved vastly, but this just shows how much the game has changed. Defense has tightened up tremendously and goaltending is much more competent. Fourty seven years since we’ve had less than 90 points as the highest point’s total, that’s something to think about, and of course I am not including the lockout seasons.
The most valuable Fantasy players this season overall:
Carey Price – .933 save %, 44 wins, 1.96 goals against average, 9 shutouts
Jamie Benn – 35 goals, 52 assists, 64 PIM, +1, 5 short-handed points, 23 power play points, 6 game winning goals
Alexander Ovechkin – 53 goals, 28 assists, 58 PIM, +10, 34 power play points, 11 game winning goals
Honorable mentions: Tyler Seguin, Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin all had more than a point per game average but were injured throughout the season.
Rookies:
Forwards:
Mark Stone – 26 goals, 38 assists, +21, 14 PIM, 1 short-handed point, 13 power play points, 6 game winning goals
Johnny Gaudreau – 24 goals, 40 assists, +11, 14 PIM, 22 power play points, 4 game winning goals
Filip Forsberg – 26 goals, 37 assists, +15, 24 PIM, 19 power play points, 6 game winning goals
Defense:
John Klingberg – 11 goals, 29 assists, +5, 32 PIM, 12 power play points, 3 game winning goals
Aaron Ekblad – 12 goals, 27 assists, +12, 32 PIM, 13 power play points, 4 game winning goals
Best Center:
Tavares – 86 points
Crosby – 84 points
Best Left Winger:
Jamie Benn – 87 points
Alexander Ovechkin – 81 points
Best Right Winger:
Jakub Voracek – 81 points
Vladimir Tarasenko – 73 points
Best Defenseman:
Erik Karlsson – 66 points
Brent Burns – 60 points
P.K. Subban – 60 points
Honorable mentions: Mark Giordano (48 points in 61 games), Kevin Shattenkirk (44 points in 56 games)
Out of the woodwork:
Devan Dubnyk - .936 save percent, 27 wins, 1.78 goals against average, 5 shutouts
John Klingberg – 11 goals, 29 assists, 32 PIM, +5
Nick Foligno – 31 goals, 42 assists, 50 PIM, +16
Andrew Hammond - .941 save percent, 20 wins, 1.79 goals against average, 3 shutouts
Who was a disappointment:
Jeff Skinner – 31 points in 77 games, -24
Nathan Mackinnon – 38 points in 64 games, -7
Kari Lehtonen - .903 save percent, 34 wins, 2.94 goals against average, 5 shutouts
Bounceback Candidates:
Taylor Hall Nathan Mackinnon David Krecji
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend.