Artem Anisimov - the invisible stud

Is it better to say player A faces tougher competition or that both players faced the toughest competition for their teams? Or does it not matter?

I would say it does not matter. If you’re just comparing roles of players, the actual number doesn’t matter much, the ranking means more. If you’re comparing how difficult the role was, then you can compare the numbers. For instance, Staal/Girardi are in the same role as a Weber/Suter, but Staal/Girardi had a more difficult opponent base.

I’m not completely understanding your first question, specifically what you mean by “the underlying QComp numbers are not equal.”

I think the Rangers would’ve kept Betts if he wasn’t made an uncertainty by Brashear’s elbow. Let’s not forget the entire league passed on Betts during free agency that summer because of his concussion.

The Rangers had to fill the roster, and did so. Betts was a victim of circumstance, glad to see it worked out for him in Philly.

Anywhere in the $1.5M to $2M range, more years, higher avg. salary … I can’t see the Rangers asking him to sign for more than three years though.

that would translate to a players’ prime starting at 24

I wouldn’t say the prime definitely hits there, but they should at least be giving top 6 production (say, 50+ points) by 24.

AA is not even 23 yet and he is still physically maturing. He has the proper skill set to be a #1 center, that certainly doesn’t mean he will become one, but he definitely has a chance. He could easily become the next Michael Handzus (which is essentially what Town described in his post). All KingHenrik was saying is that is waaaaay too early to pass judgment on AA. At least let him have two more NHL seasons playing among the top six forwards. If he only puts up another pair of 44-50 point seasons, then Town may be on to something.

Let me ask you this though, if AA manages to break the 60 point barrier either of the next two seasons, would it shock anyone?

For the effort he gives (which is a lot) and his effectiveness on defense/penalty kill, you would think that if he had the ability to score consistently, he would have been much more productive.

Well, this is where Parisian Blue’s post comes in. He’s only 22, and he’s been thrown out there against the leagues best players, on average. It’s hard enough for veteran stars like Datsyuk or Zetterberg to overcome those assignments, let alone a kid in his 2nd NHL season.

There are other factors as well. Example: Anisimov started in the offensive zone for only 50.2% of his starts (neutral zone excluded), whereas, Stepan got 64.1%. That can have a huge impact on how much production a player can actually generate (it’s easier to score when you’re starting on offense rather than having to take the puck 200 feet to do so).

PP time is another large factor, no PP time means you’re not getting time during the easiest situations to score. Compare Phil Kessel (63 points, 40 ES, 23 on PP) to Anisimov (44 points, 36 ES, 8 on the PP) and you see what a difference the final numbers can have.

Now, it’s entirely possible that Anisimov never overcomes the weight of his assignments, and he settles in at 50-60 points. However, the underlying numbers say he has a chance to be very, very good.

Wing doesn’t make sense for AA. Center is a defense first position in Torts’ system (and for most NHL teams). As the original post shows AA is already one of the best defensive centers in the league. Why move him away from a situation that is an obvious strength and one that makes the whole team better?

Dubi looks lost when he plays center. His game is predicated on movement and hitting, disrupting the other team and carrying the puck along the boards and driving the post. By contrast, AA is very calm on the ice, he can stickhandle in tight spaces and usually makes the right decision with the puck. Couple that with his strong defensive play and you have a prototypical 1st or 2nd line center.

If Richards were to join the Rangers then you would match the Pack Line and the Boyle line against other teams’ top lines and the Richards line against the other lines. It is a perfect combo actually.