Analyzing the Performances of Top NHL Players During Lockout

With the NHL lockout finally giving way to a delayed 2012-13 season, it is time for each team to channel Ron Burgundy and reassemble its roster.

For most teams, those who are under contract have been scattered far enough to require Burgundy’s preferred method of summoning. The players’ lack of access to their usual places of employment in recent months has inevitably meant spreading the wealth of NHL talent to various ponds on two continents.

The wealth of NHL-caliber talent has scattered in various forms, from the soon-to-be training camp candidates extending their stays at the Canadian major junior level to younger talent adding a competitive layer to the AHL to more seasoned stars abroad.

Of those who will most likely be seeing NHL action in 2013, the top 50 performances in any other league from the past three-plus months are recounted as follows.

Cam Atkinson, Columbus/Springfield (AHL)

Once the Blue Jackets commence the season, Atkinson will be among those tasked with concocting some vindication for a long-suffering fanbase that has seen only four playoff games, all losses, in 12 years of existence.

He has been granted a remarkable simulation of that exact scenario to start this season with the Falcons, whose fans are going on 10 years without postseason action. So far, through 32 games, his team-leading 17-21-38 scoring log has granted the Falcons an automatic third seed in the Eastern Conference.

Nicklas Backstrom, Washington/Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

In a relatively limited window of 19 games with Dynamo Moscow, Backstrom has charged up a saturated stat line of 10-15-25, amounting to the fourth best nightly production average among league players who have appeared in at least 10 games.

Sven Baertschi, Calgary/Abbotsford (AHL)

An injury has forced Baertschi to miss all of December and the wee moments of January with the Flames’ AHL affiliate. He did, however, return to practice this past week and posted an assist in his first game back on Jan. 4, giving him a 6-12-18 log in 21 games.

Patrice Bergeron, Boston/Lugano (NLA)

Even after ending his stay in Switzerland, Bergeron is tied with Bruins teammate Tyler Seguin for fifth in the NLA, each having averaged 1.38 points per game in that circuit. He remains second on HC Lugano with an 11-18-29 scoring log and has more recently pitched in five points in four Spengler Cup contests for Team Canada.

Danny Briere, Philadelphia/Berlin (DEL)

Though idled by an injury at the moment, the veteran Briere still holds the best point-per-night output (1.62) among German League players who have seen substantive action. The only three who technically surpass him under that column—including Flyers and Berlin ally Claude Giroux and Buffalo’s Jason Pominville—have played fewer than 10 games to date.

Damien Brunner, Detroit/Zug (NLA)

Brunner has yet to play an NHL game but is projected to join the Red Wings once training camp commences. In the meantime, he has been throttling the NLA competition in his native Switzerland with a league-best 25 goals and 57 points.

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit/CSKA Moskva (KHL)

The seasoned Red Wings playmaker is second on CSKA Moskva with 24 assists and 34 points and leads his KHL club with a plus-12 rating.

Jordan Eberle, Edmonton/Oklahoma City (AHL)

Since managing only one point in his first four outings with the Oklahoma City Barons, Eberle has rapidly thawed out en route to the AHL scoring lead.

He amassed a cumulative 10-11-21 scoring transcript and seven multipoint efforts over 13 games in November. He followed that up with an 11-9-20 run through 11 December games, including a pair of hat tricks.

In both cases, he was rewarded with the league’s player of the month accolades.

Christian Ehrhoff, Buffalo/Krefeld (DEL)

Making the most of his stint in his native Germany, Ehrhoff leads all DEL defensemen with 27 points in 32 games played.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix/Portland (AHL)

Already with a full year with the Coyotes on his transcript, it ought to come as little surprise that Ekman-Larsson is one of three AHL defensemen averaging better than a point per game. He has logged 21 in 20 appearances with the Portland Pirates.

Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal/Sarnia (OHL)

Building up a post-draft resume before he takes his first crack at the Canadiens’ roster, Galchenyuk has a combined 40 games-played and 29-40-69 scoring log between the Sarnia Sting and the U.S. World Junior team.

John Gibson, Anaheim/Kitchener (OHL)

Gibson could challenge for the right to back up Jonas Hiller in Anaheim without further delay. So far this season, the 2011 Ducks draftee is fifth in the OHL in goals-against average and fourth in save percentage.

Lately, though, he has devoted his time, energy and stinginess to delivering the Americans to a World Junior gold medal. He repelled 33 out of 34 shots faced in Thursday’s 5-1 semifinal upset of Canada and finished the tournament with a 1.36 GAA and .955 save percentage in seven games.

Sergei Gonchar, Ottawa/Metallurg (KHL)

The grizzled Gonchar continues to make points from the point, currently sitting second among KHL blueliners with 26 helpers and 29 points. In addition, he sits within the league's five most efficient defenders, boasting a plus-18 rating.

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota/Houston (AHL)

The most anticipated Minnesota Wild newbie not named Zach Parise or Ryan Suter missed a month with an ankle injury.

But since his return to the Houston Aeros lineup, Granlund took roughly two weeks to replenish his pre-injury form. A pair of assists on Jan. 1 extended his point streak to four games after he had scored a goal in each of the previous three and restored his spot-on point-per-game output (21 in 21).

Taylor Hall, Edmonton/Oklahoma City (AHL)

Hall has joined Eberle and another Baron in Justin Schultz (more on him later) among the AHL’s top 10 point-getters with 34 in a mere 26 games played and holds the league lead with nine power-play goals.

Dougie Hamilton, Boston/Niagara (OHL)

Before he took leave to join Team Canada at the World Juniors, Hamilton stashed an overwhelming lead among the OHL’s defensive point-getters with 41.

Ales Hemsky, Edmonton/Pardubice (Czech)

Allied with fellow NHLers Jakub Kindl and David Krejci, Hemsky leads HC Pardubice in the Czech League with 32 points.

Braden Holtby, Washington/Hershey (AHL)

The Capitals' pleasant surprise in last year’s postseason had nowhere to go but back to the farm team in Hershey this autumn. But Holtby has used the extra development time wisely, retaining the AHL’s third-best save percentage at .933 and sixth-best goals-against average at 2.14 and keeping the Hershey Bears on the playoff borderline.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida/Saint John (QMJHL)

Huberdeau’s scoring pace has dropped a little from last year, but the would-be Panthers rookie still averaged a point and a half per night with a 16-29-45 log in the first 30 games of the Saint John Sea Dogs season.

After extending his production streak to eight games in the QMJHL, Huberdeau left Saint John in early December to return to Canada’s WJC team. His nine points in six games were second on the team only to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Jaromir Jagr, Dallas/Kladno (Czech)

No telling if he will defy his age to the same extent with his new NHL employer in Dallas. But while passing the time in his native Czech Republic, Jagr has retained an unsurpassed average of 1.67 points per night.

Nazem Kadri, Toronto/Toronto (AHL)

The third-year member of the Toronto organization is hovering around an exact point-per-game pace with the Marlies (25 in 26).

Kadri picked up that pace after a slow start of only three assists in his first nine outings. In his 10th game this season, he doubled his cumulative output with a goal and two helpers and, counting that game, has rolled up a 7-15-22 transcript in his last 17 contests.

Patrick Kane, Chicago/Biel (NLA)

Though Kane’s appearances with the Switzerland-based HC Biel have been relatively sparse, he has made the majority of the 18 count with 11 goals and 20 points.

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa/Jokerit (SM-Liiga)

The reigning Norris Trophy winner is the only defenseman seeing regular action in the Finnish SM-Liiga and averaging more than a point per night with 34 in 30. In addition, he owns one of the better ratings among his peers at plus-12.

Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey/St. Petersburg (KHL)

Besides being seventh in the KHL with a nightly median of 1.21 points, Kovalchuk is fourth among forwards and sixth among all skaters with an efficient plus-21 rating.

David Krejci, Boston/Pardubice (Czech)

While waiting for his sixth season with the Bruins, the local boy has led his Czech League team with 16 goals.

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh/Metallurg (KHL)

Fittingly, the reigning regular-season MVP is the top scorer among NHL players who have been in the KHL. Malkin is second only to Metallurg Magnitogorsk teammate Sergei Mozyakin with 62 points and second to none with 40 assists.

Milan Michalek, Ottawa/Ceske (Czech)

Had he played every game with Ceske Budejovice up to this point, it is safe to assume that Michalek would be their scoring leader. He has played 14 fewer games that temporary teammate Ales Kotalik, but trails him only by two points with an 13-11-24 log in 21 contests.

Rick Nash, NY Rangers/Davos (NLA)

Even with injuries keeping him out of action for half of the schedule to date, Nash has 12 goals in 17 games to tie him with Joe Thornton for second-best on HC Davos.

Nino Niederreiter, NY Islanders/Bridgeport (AHL)

Niederreiter leads the Bridgeport Sound Tigers with 16 goals and 33 points in as many games so far this AHL season.

With 16 strikes on 106 registered shots, he boasts on the AHL’s best balances of energy and accuracy. Niederreiter is one of a little less than two dozen players with triple digits in the SOG column and has tuned the mesh 15.1 percent of the time.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton/Oklahoma City (AHL)

While Oilers fans wait to see if he will have a sophomore surge, Nugent-Hopkins has joined in on the Oklahoma City constellation for at least a portion of the autumn. His AHL action has been limited chiefly by international commitments, but he has pitched in 20 points in 19 games with the Barons.

As for those international commitments, he led Team Canada with 15 points through six games in the WJC. Individual game highlights include five points against Germany, two points against Slovakia and a playmaker hat trick against Russia.

Gustav Nyquist, Detroit/Grand Rapids (AHL)

In his second full professional season, Nyquist is on roughly the same production pace with the Grand Rapids Griffins as he was in 2011-12. His 31 points through 32 games to date are a little more than half of what he charged up in 56 AHL games last season, and he boasts an improved plus-nine rating.

Look for him to challenge for a full-time Red Wings roster spot.

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington/Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

Ovechkin has seen more action with Dynamo than the aforementioned Backstrom, his would-be Washington teammate had the NHL been operating as usual.

Come what may, he is producing at roughly the same rate as Backstrom, sitting sixth overall in the KHL with 1.29 points per game.

Tomas Plekanec, Montreal/Kladno (Czech)

The Habs pivot is fourth in both goals (21) and points (46) through 32 games played in the Czech Republic’s top professional league.

He and the aforementioned Jagr have formulated a formidable one-two punch for HC Kladno, inserting a combined 45 goals apiece. Kladno has totaled 111 goals to date, meaning Plekanec and Jagr alone have supplied 40.5 percent of the team’s offense.

Derrick Pouliot, Pittsburgh/Portland (WHL)

The WHL-leading Portland Winterhawks are benefiting from the two-way proficiency of the reigning Penguins' top pick, who has been rewarded in the form of 36 points and a plus-26 rating. Among the defensemen on Portland’s deep roster, Pouliot is first in the way of assists and trails only Seth Jones and Tyler Wotherspoon in plus/minus.

Tuukka Rask, Boston/Plzen (Czech)

As of this weekend, long after he cut off his stint with HC Plzen, Rask was eighth on the Czech league’s save percentage leaderboard at .924 and fifth overall with a 2.11 goals-against average in 17 games.

Morgan Rielly, Toronto/Moose Jaw (WHL)

Rielly remains one of the sparse bright spots on the Moose Jaw Warriors. The reigning Maple Leafs’ first-round pick is one of merely six skaters on his club with a positive rating, leads everyone with 21 assists and is second with 28 points.

Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg/Barrie (OHL)

The only reason Scheifele is not higher on the OHL’s top scorer list is because the would-be Winnipeg Jet has missed a dozen Barrie Colts games to try out for and subsequently attend to his second round of World Junior Championship commitments.

Between the Colts and Canada, Scheifele has tallied a cumulative 26 goals, 30 assists and 56 points in 35 games played.

Brayden Schenn, Philadelphia/Adirondack (AHL)

Schenn is one of the few AHL players producing a point per night or better with exactly 33 in 33 outings with the Adirondack Phantoms.

Justin Schultz, Edmonton/Oklahoma City (AHL)

A presumptive rookie regular on the Edmonton blue-line brigade without delay, Schultz remains the top AHL playmaker with 30 assists. He has been kept scoreless on a mere five occasions and tallied multiple points in 17 out of 34 games played.

Tyler Seguin, Boston/Biel (NLA)

While starring for HC Biel opposite the aforementioned Kane, Seguin charged up 25 goals in 29 games and remains tied with the aforementioned Brunner for the Swiss NLA lead in that category. He charged up three hat tricks and later joined Team Canada in the Spengler Cup.

Dennis Seidenberg, Boston/Mannheim (DEL)

Like the aforementioned Ehrhoff, Seidenberg is playing an irreproachable all-around game in his homeland. He is among the top five DEL blueliners in both point production (2-18-20) and plus/minus (plus-15), leading his entire Adler Mannheim team in the latter category.

Jason Spezza, Ottawa/Rapperswil (NLA)

With 21 assists in 28 games, Spezza is running away with the distinction as Rapperswil’s top playmaker.

Ryan Strome, NY Islanders/Niagara (OHL)

Even with another WJC appearance interrupting another season with the Ice Dogs, the high-ranking  Islanders prospect is second in the OHL with 60 points. Strome’s nightly average of 1.98 points and his plus-34 rating are unsurpassed by his OHL peers and adversaries.

Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis/St. Petersburg (KHL)

A Calder Trophy candidate? Perhaps if he can translate his KHL performance to the NHL without delay, Tarasenko will be.

Among KHL players who are younger than 24 years of age and played in at least 10 games, the 21-year-old Tarasenko stands alone with an average of 1.09 points per game on the year, tallying 25 in 23.

John Tavares, NY Islanders/Bern (NLA)

The catalyst of the still-jelling Islanders’ revival, Tavares has kept his touch in the Swiss league, where he is currently second overall with 1.50 points per night, having amassed 42 in a span of 28 games.

Joe Thornton, San Jose/Davos (NLA)

Teaming up with Nash on HC Davos, Thornton has led his lockout club with 24 assists and 36 points in 33 outings.

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado/Yaroslavl (KHL)

While the Colorado Avalanche stopper has not played in nearly as many games as his KHL competitors, he has appeared in more than enough to be considered a qualified leader. In turn, the netminder for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is legitimately running away with the top data, namely a 1.74 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

Furthermore, Varlamov is 8-4-3 with three shutouts on behalf of Yaroslavl. Those three shutouts are one less than the NHL career high he set in 53 games with the Avs in 2011-12.

Nail Yakupov, Edmonton/Neftekhimik (KHL)

Russia has had an extended eyeful of one of its own while the NHL has awaited the arrival of its latest No. 1 overall draft choice. Yakupov leads all KHL scorers who are still in their teens with 10 goals and 18 points and had eight points in seven games for his national team at the World Juniors.

Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit/Zug (NLA)

Zetterberg immediately trails the aforementioned Tavares and Linus Omark on the NLA leaderboard, his 16-16-32 log in 23 games translating to 1.39 points per game. Meanwhile, he holds third place among all forwards in the league with a plus-17 rating.

Marek Zidlicky, New Jersey/Kladno (Czech)

The only Czech League defenseman to be hovering around an exact point-per-game median, Zidlicky trails on Jagr and Plekanec on HC Kladno with 22 helpers and 25 total points in as many contests.