Final Grade: Tomas Fleischmann

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+

Position: LW (21gp), RW (1gp)

Lines:

• 1^st (19gp)
• 2^nd (3gp)

Vitals: 6'1" / 192 / Age 27 (as of yesterday!) / Shoots L

Drafted by Detroit, 2^nd round (63^rd) of 2002 Draft

Joined Avalanche: Traded by the Capitals on November 30^th, 2010 for D Scott Hannan

MHH Nicknames: Flash

Linemates:

LW:

• Galiardi 1gp 0g 0a 0pt -2

C:

• Duchene 22gp 8g 13a 21pt -1

RW:

• Jones 11gp 4g 8a 12pt +2
• Hejduk 8gp 3g 4a 7pt -1
• Stewart 2gp 1g 1a 2pt Even

Avs with Fleischmann in the lineup: 11-7-4 (.659 pt %) 3.0 GF 3.3 GA

Ice Time:

• TTOI 18:28 (3^rd)
• EV 15:41 (3^rd)
• PK 0:01 (15^th)
• PP 2:45 (5^th)

Career Highlights: Fleischmann recorded his first NHL hat trick - a natural hat trick - on December 15^th against Chicago.

Report: Fleischmann's arrival in Denver brought a new wave of hope that Matt Duchene would have the wingman he needed after Peter Mueller's head went on strike. From his November 30th arrival date, Flash proved a talented and valuable member of the team. However, after the mid-season mark, he played in only five games before a pulmonary embolism cut his season short. During those five games, Flash averaged a point-per-game with 1g and 4a. The only time he was kept off the scoreboard was in a shut out loss to the Blackhawks on January 12th. The Avs' record was 3-1-1 during that stretch, and he was a +3. It's hard to say what his presence would have done to help stave off the infamous slide to the Number 2 pick, but it can't be considered a coincidence that the scoring dried up considerably after his departure. Duchene had 21 points in 22 games with Fleischmann on his left; he scored half that number (and 1/3 the goals) in the next 22 games with the winger out on IR. It's true that many of the Avs' systems broke down in the second half of the season, but losing prolific scoring at a combined goal-per-game pace from two top forwards certainly was a big factor in the team's demise. That pulmonary embolism arguably left not just Fleishmann in its wake, but Duchene as well.

Fun Fact: Fleischmann's first NHL point was an assist on a goal by former Avalanche Brian Willsie.

The Tomas Fleischmann Drinking Game: Probably makes fun of gingers in some way (not that we condone that)

What We Said at Midseason: Fleischmann has had moments of brilliance and moments that aren't so brilliant. Love his offense, but his defensive skills need to improve to earn an A

 2010 Cap Hit: $2,600,000

2011 Status: UFA

Outlook for Next Season: Fleischmann is a free agent this summer and, as of this writing, has not been medically cleared to play. His medical history (he missed the start of the previous season with a blood clot formed on the flight back from Europe) isn't the only question mark on his resume. He currently has just one 40+ point season under his swanky European belt (we assume it's very stylish) and he's broken the 20-goal mark just once as well. He was a disappointment in Washington this year and has struggled with inconsistency at key moments in the past (he was scratched for a 7^th game in the Caps series against Montreal in 2010). All that being said, he had a great 22 games (offensively) in Colorado and we definitely expect him back next year. And his price tag probably won't be too high (thinking around $2 million), which fits really well with the Avs' save-cap-space-for-a-rainy-day philosophy. As of right now, he projects to be our top left winger...and, yes, that's a wee bit worrisome.

Next Up: Jay McClement