Father Time finally caught up with the seemingly ageless Hossa in 2015-16, as the 37-year-old winger only managed to notch 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) over 64 games, a significant decline from the 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) he managed to register over 82 games in 2014-15. Some of that downturn can be attributed to the injuries that forced the Slovakian to miss 18 games last season, as well as a severe lack of puck luck. However, at this stage in his career, Hossa's impact for the Blackhawks will largely come in the form of his fantastic play in the defensive zone and on the backcheck, rather than in the offensive chops he's displayed throughout his 19 years in the NHL. That's not to say he won't be a key contributor on offense for the 'Hawks in 2016-17, because he will, and should be able to rebound significantly from the underwhelming 33-point performance he put together a season ago. Hossa will still be a highly useful fantasy commodity this season, just make sure not to reach for him based on name recognition alone.
Hossa just continues to defy his critics, and the calendar, too. The 36-year-old has mastered the art of adapting, showing a willingness to adjust his game in order to stay relevant. The guy drives possession. He makes those around him so much better. He leads. He follows. He scores. He defends. But cracks have started to show. Last season, Hossa’s shooting percentage dropped to just 8.9 percent (his career average is 12.6), and he delivered just 22 goals, his fewest in a full season since his rookie year. This season will probably see Hossa push for another 20-goal campaign, but the overall pace will drop a little more, and you could be looking at a mid-50 point producer on the Hawks’ top line. The key to success will be where you’re able to draft him. Hossa can still be plenty useful if you don’t overreach for him.
Hossa, 35, did not show his age during the past regular season, as he delivered 30 goals, 30 assists and a plus-28 rating. But his lack of scoring in the postseason -- two goals in 19 games -- could portend a downturn for the 2014-15 season. We can't help but think this is the start of a decline, but he should still contribute 50 to 55 points with a solid plus-minus rating. There's fantasy value in that for sure.
Hossa continues to contribute well into his mid-30s. After delivering 31 points in 40 regular-season games, he had the third-most playoff points (seven goals, nine assists) for the Cup-winning Hawks. His days of 90 or 100 points are long gone, but he could certainly duplicate his output of the last couple of years where he averaged almost a point a game.
Can anyone get that image of Hossa, immobilzed on a stretcher, out of their head? Hossa's season -- and the Hawks' playoff hopes -- ended on the forearm of Phoenix's Raffi Torres. He says he's symptom-free and ready for camp, but we can't help but feel a bit queasy about him to start the season. Just look at how long Sidney Crosby was out.It's a real shame because he's coming off his most successful regular season (77 points) since 2006-07 where he scored 100. Draft him as though he'll miss 20 games and you'll probably be OK. Then his 60 points won't feel like a let-down.
Hossa saw a bump in the right direction last year, as he stayed healthy compared to his past seasons with the Blackhawks. By playing eight more games (65) than the previous campaign, Hossa’s point total increased to 57, with 25 goals and 32 assists to boot. His 100-point seasons might be over, but he will be well rested for 2011-12 and primed for another big year.
After having the Stanley Cup barely elude him in consecutive seasons with two different teams, Hossa was finally able to hoist Lord Stanley in his first year with the 'Hawks. And thanks to a 12-year, $62 million contract that he signed ahead of the 2009-10 season, it's important for Hossa to consider Chicago to be a happy place to play. From a fantasy angle, Hossa can be viewed as an upper-tier winger with a knack for shorthanded goals - he had five shorties last season, which led the league. Keep that in mind during Draft Day when deciding which forward to grab in the earlier rounds.
Despite his shoulder injury, Hossa should still put up plenty of points for the Hawks this season. He is expected to miss the first month of the regular season, but long term, he's an upgrade over oft-injured Martin Havlat. While it's definitely ironic that one of the reasons for signing Hossa over Havlat was Havlat's propensity to get hurt, Hossa is a better two-way player and his hunger for the Stanley Cup after missing out with Pittsburgh and Detroit in each of the last two seasons should help keep his production at a point-per-game clip in the Windy City.
On any other club, he’d likely be “the big gun,” but Hossa decided to pass on a large multi-year deal for another shot at the Stanley Cup by inking a one-year deal with Detroit. Despite being one of the game’s most dangerous offensive players, Hossa’s two-way skill set will mesh perfectly on a Red Wings squad that boasts plenty of talent at both ends of the ice. With an abundance of playmakers and excellent defensive players skating around him, Hossa is a threat for 100 points without the risk of a lackluster plus-minus rating. Look for him to join Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom to form one of the NHL’s most potent power-play units.
The time is probably over of Hossa being an under-rated superstar. He had an MVP caliber season last year as he scored 100 points -- good for sixth in the league. He did trail off a bit as the season wore down but that had a lot to do with the struggles of Kovalchuk rather than Hossa's play. In addition to his 43 goals and 57 assists he also helped out owners in leagues that count PIM’s (49), power play points (44) and plus-minus (18). There are some rumors swirling about that Hossa is on the trade block (San Jose and Vancouver are being mentioned) but GM Don Waddell is denying all reports. Hossa is in the last year of his contract and we fully expect him to sign an extension with the club this season. He is first or early second round material.
Many don’t realize how close Hossa’s stats were to Kovalchuk’s last year -- he finished just six points behind in the scoring race. While he didn’t produce like Kovalchuk did on the power play he did manage a much better +17 and had 18 more shots on goal. Hossa is also very consistent, managing to play at a point-a-game pace for the last three years. Hossa would make a very nice pick-up in the first round or two of your draft.
We’ve seen that he’s pencilled in to start on the top line with Marc Savard and Slava Kozlov, which would probably give him numbers similar to his time in Ottawa, but power play time with Ilya Kovalchuk, could even improve on those numbers. He was fifth in the league in scoring during the 2003-04 season and has topped 80 points the last two years, so expect big things from Hossa.
