Final Grade: Philippe Dupuis

This report card is a joint effort by Beachie, Sandie, Paul, SlamDunktheFunk and DDC. Stats courtesy of hockey-reference.com and NHL.com

Final Grade: B-

Midseason Grade: B

Last Year: INC

Position: C (73 games), LW (1 game)

(65gp 4^th line, 9gp 3^rd line)

Vitals: 6'0" / 196 lbs / Age 26 / Shoots R

Drafted by Columbus, 4^th round (104^th) of the 2003 Draft

Joined Avalanche: Acquired from Columbus with Darcy Campbell for Mark Rycroft, January 22^nd, 2008

MHH Nicknames: Dups, Blue Steel

Linemates:

LW:

• McLeod 41gp 3g 6a 9pt -5
• Porter 13gp 2g 3a 5pt +3
• Koci 4gp 0g 1a 0pt Even
• Galiardi 3gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• Yip 3gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• McClement 2gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• Winnik 2gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• Stoa 1gp 1g 0a 1pt +1
• Hunwick 1gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• O'Reilly 1gp 0g 0a 0pt Even

C:

• O'Reilly 1gp 0g 0a 0pt +1

RW:

• Koci 18gp 1g 5a 6a +1
• Yip 18gp 2g 2a 4pt -2
• Mauldin 15gp 1g 0a 0pt -2
• Van der Gulik 5gp 1g 2a 3pt +2
• Olver 4gp 0g 0a 0pt Even
• Porter 4gp 0g 1a 1pt +1
• McLeod 1gp 1g 0a 1pt +1
• Stewart 1gp 0g 0a 0pt -1
• Winnik 1gp 0g 0a 0pt Even

Most Common Line:

• McLeod - Dupuis - Koci 10gp 1g 3a 4pt -1
• McLeod - Dupuis - Yip 10gp 1g 1a 2pt -4

Avs with Dupuis in the lineup: 26-40-8 (.405 pt%) 2.7 GF 3.5 GA

Ice Time:

• TTOI 9:06 (18^th)
• EV 7:27 (18^th)
• PK 1:35 (5^th)
• PP 0:03 (18^th)

Career Highlights: With just 12 NHL games under his belt before this year, Dupuis set career highs pretty much across the board. His first NHL goal - a shorthander - was scored on November 6^th against Dallas

Report: The 26 year old from Laval, Quebec was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 draft by Columbus. He had much higher numbers in the QMJHL, but he had a much different role than he does for the Avalanche. Now, he is asked to be a fourth line center, and because of this he brings a much more physical game to a team that is in desperate need of guys who aren't afraid to hit and be hit. 

This man's bread and butter come from five on five situations. He was relied on very little during power play situations (average 3 seconds a game) and only slightly more during short handed situations (1:35 average per game). To get more ice time, he needs to work on his ability for special team situations.

This grinder made his presence known on the ice, but held off the penalty minutes, until it came to a knee- on- knee hit on Olli Jokinen that left him ejected from the game, but with no suspension. Overall he has been a strong, hard-working presence on the Avalanche and brings a lot to the team. It was a happy surprise to see him make the team this year,  however, toward the end of the season he found his way into Sacco's doghouse and was a healthy scratch for a few games. 

Fun Fact: The Avalanche dressed 6 players last year from the 2003 draft - Dupuis, Shawn Belle, Kyle Quincey, David Liffiton, Ryan O'Byrne and David Jones. Only two - Jones and Liffiton - were actually drafted by the Avs. And Liffiton only half counts.

The Philippe Dupuis Drinking Game: Drink when Dupuis wins a faceoff   Drunk potential: Low (46.2% at draws)

What We Said Last Year: I'm actually surprised Philippe Dupuis played four whole games because I have no recollection of him.

 2010 Cap Hit: $500,000

2011 Status: RFA ($550,000 QO)

Outlook for Next Season: Dupuis was a nice anchor in the middle of the 4^th line and he showed up many nights that his teammates didn't. He faded a bit as the year went on, though, and never did get a ton of ice time (18^th out of 20 forwards). While his energy is great (2^nd among forwards in hits), he wasn't very good at faceoffs. The Avalanche have four centers ahead of Dupuis in Stastny, Duchene, O'Reilly and McClement, which could potentially squeeze him off the roster.

Next Up: Kevin Porter