This article is part of our Blue Line Buzz series.
The tentative date for Hampus Lindholm's season debut is Nov. 9 against Columbus, a week after signing a six-year, $31.5 million extension with Anaheim. Long-term injuries to Nate Thompson (Achilles) and Simon Despres (concussion) paved the way for the Ducks to splurge on Lindholm and remain cap compliant, and while having the young Swede back in the fold can only make the team better, Bob Murray still has a messy cap situation on his hands.
Lindholm was second among Ducks defensemen last year with an average of 22:00 of ice time per game, logging more even-strength minutes than anyone while running the second power-play unit and leading the team in blocked shots with 115. Cam Fowler's still the preferred No. 1 option and Sami Vatanen gets the most power-play opportunities, but Lindholm is equally valuable and is clearly seen as a cornerstone player for the franchise.
He also gives the Ducks three lefties – Lindholm, Fowler and Clayton Stoner – and three righties – Vatanen, Josh Manson and Kevin Bieksa – which lines them up into symmetrical pairs so that none have to play on their off-side. The best guess at the moment is that the Fowler-Manson and Stoner-Vatanen pairings will stay intact at even strength, which means Lindholm would replace Shea Theodore alongside Kevin Bieksa. Lindholm and Bieksa are the team's two better shot blockers, so it's likely Randy Carlyle will elect to use them more in defensive situations.
The upside here is that Bieksa is
The tentative date for Hampus Lindholm's season debut is Nov. 9 against Columbus, a week after signing a six-year, $31.5 million extension with Anaheim. Long-term injuries to Nate Thompson (Achilles) and Simon Despres (concussion) paved the way for the Ducks to splurge on Lindholm and remain cap compliant, and while having the young Swede back in the fold can only make the team better, Bob Murray still has a messy cap situation on his hands.
Lindholm was second among Ducks defensemen last year with an average of 22:00 of ice time per game, logging more even-strength minutes than anyone while running the second power-play unit and leading the team in blocked shots with 115. Cam Fowler's still the preferred No. 1 option and Sami Vatanen gets the most power-play opportunities, but Lindholm is equally valuable and is clearly seen as a cornerstone player for the franchise.
He also gives the Ducks three lefties – Lindholm, Fowler and Clayton Stoner – and three righties – Vatanen, Josh Manson and Kevin Bieksa – which lines them up into symmetrical pairs so that none have to play on their off-side. The best guess at the moment is that the Fowler-Manson and Stoner-Vatanen pairings will stay intact at even strength, which means Lindholm would replace Shea Theodore alongside Kevin Bieksa. Lindholm and Bieksa are the team's two better shot blockers, so it's likely Randy Carlyle will elect to use them more in defensive situations.
The upside here is that Bieksa is inexplicably averaging more than two minutes per game on the power play, most of which should be gobbled up by Lindholm. That would give Lindholm additional value, though the Ducks' power play is currently 17th in the league right now.
Because Fowler is playing so well – three goals and four assists so far – the Ducks shouldn't be in any hurry to deal him, and who knows when Despres or Thompson will return, but by choosing not to part with any contracts, the Ducks are only delaying the inevitable. Bieksa and Stoner's ill-advised contracts are a burden, and if Fowler does end up getting dealt, Lindholm becomes the obvious benefactor as the team's de facto top lefty defenseman. Wait and see, I guess.
Top Five Studs of the Week:
Dougie Hamilton, Flames – Is the "dougie" dance still a thing? Hamilton chipped in with three points against Ottawa. Even though Hamilton is inconsistent, the Flames have won three of their past four and he's still getting plenty of looks on the power play (3:33 average per game thus far).
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Coyotes – Guys like OEL and Hamilton (and Mike Green, below) make my job easy because all I have to do is to flip them from "Duds" to "Studs" every other week. After going three games without a point, OEL scored goals in consecutive games, and now leads all defensemen with five.
Alec Martinez, Kings – So, he's pretty good, eh? He's doing his best to give the Kings' offense a boost with seven points in nine games, but they were shut out by the Blackhawks on Sunday. The 29-year-old is in his prime and scored a career-high 31 points last year, and is back on a pair with Drew Doughty for the time being. That's a good thing and an upgrade over Jake Muzzin, who is no slouch but doesn't compare to Doughty.
Ryan Suter, Wild –His stat line for the week – 2-3-5, plus-7 – now ties him with former Predator teammate Shea Weber with 10 points to lead all defensemen. Normally, I'd worry about his usage and how it'll affect him late in the season, but I think the more Suter plays, the better the chances of winning, and points will be tight in the Central. On that note…
IT'S BOUDREAU TIME. With a 6-2-1 record and plus-13 goal differential heading into November, Bruce Boudreau's Wild sit atop the Central Division, thanks to a three-game win streak during which they've outscored their opponents 13-0. Fun fact: Other than his mid-season switch from the Caps to the Ducks, Bruce Boudreau has never failed to win a division title. He has the highest points percentage in league history among those who have coached at least five years – yes, even ahead of the legendary Scotty Bowman, albeit slightly. To win a title in the Central – Minnesota's first since 2008 – would be a huge upset. All aboard the Boudreau hype train!
Shea Weber, Canadiens – It's simple. This. That time he put the puck through the net at the 2010 Olympics was pretty cool, too.
Top Five Duds of the Week:
P.K. Subban, Predators – Subban is minus-3 with zero points in the midst of Nashville's three-game slide, and despite looking like Nashville's best pair ever on paper with Roman Josi, they've been operating more like two left feet. They're split up for now, but Nashville's slow start is kind of alarming. Subban will turn it around at some point, but he's not the top-10 defenseman everyone thought he'd be yet.
Torey Krug, Bruins – Make it eight games now that Krug has gone without a point, so perhaps the summer shoulder surgery is still bothering him. The Bruins aren't out of it yet, but their goal-differential is second-worst in the division and they've cooled off considerably since their hot start. The good news is that he's still firing the puck a lot, which means the goals could very well come in bunches once he finally finds twine.
Colton Parayko, Blues – He has just three assists in nine games after his excellent 33-point season last year, making him increasingly droppable over the past week. He's averaging 21 minutes per game (two more than last year), but overall he's the No. 4 option – at best – in St. Louis, which caps his upside.
Mike Green, Red Wings – Green notched just two assists over his next seven games after scoring his first career hat trick, finishing the week with a minus-4 rating and seven shots on goal. Detroit is an inconsistent team that still seems to be figuring things out, something that will negatively impact Green's ability to produce more frequently than owners would like.
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs – He's by far the Leafs' best defenseman even though he hasn't produced like one with just four assists and 15 shots on goal. Also, he was sitting in the box when Weber's slap shot shattered the hearts of Leafs Nation.
Recommended Pickups:
Brandon Carlo, Bruins – Even though defensemen shouldn't be discounted in fantasy, it's always advisable to leave one spot open to snag the guy no one saw coming. It happens every year. Carlo is a 6-foot-5 19-year-old and Zdeno Chara's newest partner on defense, and has averaged at least 22 minutes of ice time since his NHL debut. The points aren't coming in yet for the former second-round pick, but the WHL product (always a good sign for defensemen) is a physical two-way player who blocks shots as well. This is the guy the Jets are reportedly asking for as the centerpiece in a potential Jacob Trouba trade. The B's are smart to take a pass, as Carlo is showing tremendous upside right now.
Troy Stecher, Canucks –With Chris Tanev (undisclosed) placed on injured reserve, the Canucks are missing some depth on the right side. They clearly haven't forgotten how well Stecher played in training camp, and in three games he's averaged 21:22 per game with tons of power-play time. He's a good skater with very good puck skills and is getting plenty of opportunities to shine. That said, don't be surprised if he manages to stick around for the whole year.
