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Nick Leddy's season can be broken down into two parts, playing with and without Travis Hamonic. The duo started the season as the Islanders top defensive pairing. It made total sense. Leddy, the offensive threat, while Hamonic is the shut down defensman. The results, however, were disastrous. Hamonic's poor play clearly affected Leddy's.

Since this is a report card I'll make the comparison of having a trouble maker student being a bad influence on the good student. Once the teacher moved the trouble maker's desk away from the good student, the good student really showed what they can do. That's what happened with Nick Leddy.

Leddy's numbers were clearly better without Hamonic. In the 33 games that Hamonic was out, Leddy scored six goals, 25 points and a +13 rating. Leddy is the only offensive threat on the blue line. Before josh Ho-Sang arrived on the scene, Leddy was the only Islander who can go end to end.

Since being acquired from Chicago three seasons ago, Leddy ranks 23rd in NHL defensemen scoring with 123 points. The 26-year-old scored in the opening game of the season. He had to wait 39 games in 2015-16 before lighting the lamp. He will never be a shut down defenseman and that is ok. While Leddy had a career year in goals (11) and points (46) , his corsi 5v5 and fenwick were career worst.

Nick Leddy's grade would have been higher had Travis Hamonic played like he did back in 2014-15.

2016-17 season grade: B-

Check out our previous report cards

www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Dan-Petriw/Isles-1617-Report-Cards-The-Greiss-is-Right/184/84637

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