I'd like to close out the Midseason Report Card category for $500, Alex...
(sorry for going all Top-19 on this one, folks - my little stint on the IR came before I could finish)
Keeping in mind the Joe Sakic Rule...Super Joe's didn't have the same zip over the first 41 games, and there's now no doubt at all that he's lost a couple of steps. But, he still makes things happen offensively, he's our best in the faceoff circle (54.2 %) and he's still strong defensively. In short, we still need him. Desperately.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 15GP 2G 10A 12P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 24GP 7G 15A 22P
2008-2009 Projection: 25GP 3G 17A 20P
Grade: B
I could be in the minority here, but I actually think Smyth was our most consistent player during the first half of the season. He doesn't have the greatest numbers, but I felt night in and night out, Smyth was the one guy who was going to bring his lunch pail, and I can remember a few games where even Stastny was dragging but Smyth was working hard. Personally, I would have chosen him over Hejduk for the All-Star team. But, I think that's just me.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 41GP 13G 16A 29P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 36GP 11G 17A 28P
2008-2009 Projection: 82GP 26G 32A 58P
Grade: A-
SOS had a great first half compared to the rest of his teammates, but, maybe for the first time as an Av, he struggled a bit here and there. From October 25th through November 25th, Stastny had just 6 points in 16 games and was a -10. He signed that big extension on the 17th, so perhaps the contract negotiations were affecting him. Whatever. He's, like, good and stuff.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 34GP 10G 21A 31P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 41GP 15G 29A 44P
2008-2009 Projection: 58GP 17G 36A 53P
Grade: A-
Stewart has been terrific lately, but some of his better games have come after the midway point so the grade may be a tad lower than you might expect. Still, Stewart was the best of the Holy Trinity in the first half.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 16GP 3G 2A 5P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: N/A
2008-2009 Projection: 57GP 11G 7A 18P
Grade: C+
I wish Svatos would just make up his mind and just bust already so that everyone can just move on. He'll have a couple of invisible games, and you start to feel like you can let Svatos go. Then he goes and has a big game and sucks you right back in. Svatos has been okay in the first half - not good enough to play on the top two lines, not bad enough to bench or trade. At times, Svatos was good defensively, but, like everything else, not consistently so.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 34GP 6G 9A 15P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 38GP 16G 2A 18P
2008-2009 Projection: 75GP 13G 20A 33P
Grade: C
Terrible defensively, slower than paint drying, gets knocked on his ass all the time, takes stupid penalties, and tends to get in the way offensively. But, he's really good at tip-ins when he's not covered in front of the net. Too harsh? Maybe; Tucker does get some big hits in. But he's been a disappointment even compared to our low expectations. In general, I have been very pleased with the way Tony Granato has handled his personnel this year, but I don't understand why he keeps using Tucker late in the game. Plus, I almost got all the way through this without mentioning Andrew Brunette...
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 30GP 5G 4A 9P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: N/A
2008-2009 Projection: 71GP 12G 9A 21P
Grade: D
Is anyone 100% sure this isn't Wyatt Smith wearing a different jersey number?
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 10G 0G 1A 1P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: N/A
2008-2009 Projection: 20GP 0G 2A 2P
Grade: D
Only three of Double Dub's first half games were at center, so my man-crush gushings are mostly focused at his time spent at left wing. Although his point total in the first half was meh (even falling behind last year's disappointing first half performance), I felt Wolski put in his best defensive effort by a country mile. And those luscious shootouts...oh, those shootouts. I still think he needs a major infusion of confidence to get him over the 50-point player hump and headed towards the 70-point player hump. Early returns would seem to indicate that the move to center may just be that needed shot in the arm.
2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 40GP 10G 13A 23P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 41GP 13G 13G 26P
2008-2009 Projection: 81GP 20G 26A 47P
Grade: B
Recap:
- Sakic: B
- Smyth: A-
- Stastny: A-
- Stewart: C+
- Svatos: C
- Tucker: D
- Willsie: D
- Wolski: B
All Forwards:
- Stastny: A-
- Smyth: A-
- Hejduk: B+
- Sakic: B
- Wolski: B
- Laperriere: B-
- McLeod: B-
- Stewart: C+
- Guite: C
- Svatos: C
- Jones: C
- McCormick: C-
- Hensick: D+
- Tucker: D
- Willsie: D
- Arnason: D-
- Dupuis: INC