This article is part of our Blue Line Buzz series.
The Frozen Four is set. North Dakota, Boston College, Denver and Quinnipiac are the last ones standing with the final to be played April 9, coinciding with the last big day of the NHL regular season. For players whose season has already ended, the door is open for NHL squads to sign them, and as is the case almost every season, college defensemen have been a hot commodity.
Start with Minnesota State–Mankato alum Casey Nelson, who signed with Buffalo after being highly sought after by multiple teams. He made his NHL debut Saturday and collected an assist while playing on the team's third pairing. Given his strong performance and track record – 55 points and a plus-33 rating in 80 games spanning his sophomore and junior seasons – it's probably safe to say he'll be playing a few more games down the stretch. Nelson's an under-the-radar puck-moving defenseman who may provide a few points in deeper leagues.
Sticking with the Minnesota theme, the Wild are one team that often dips into its own backyard, much like the Sens do with the National Capital Region. After Nick Seeler spent two years at Nebraska-Omaha and then transferred to the University of Minnesota for this season, the Wild signed their 2011 fifth-round pick, adding a steady 6-foot-2 defenseman to their organization. However, with the team chasing a playoff spot, it wouldn't be wise to throw in such a green defenseman, even one who's already 22 years old. He'll serve as a depth
The Frozen Four is set. North Dakota, Boston College, Denver and Quinnipiac are the last ones standing with the final to be played April 9, coinciding with the last big day of the NHL regular season. For players whose season has already ended, the door is open for NHL squads to sign them, and as is the case almost every season, college defensemen have been a hot commodity.
Start with Minnesota State–Mankato alum Casey Nelson, who signed with Buffalo after being highly sought after by multiple teams. He made his NHL debut Saturday and collected an assist while playing on the team's third pairing. Given his strong performance and track record – 55 points and a plus-33 rating in 80 games spanning his sophomore and junior seasons – it's probably safe to say he'll be playing a few more games down the stretch. Nelson's an under-the-radar puck-moving defenseman who may provide a few points in deeper leagues.
Sticking with the Minnesota theme, the Wild are one team that often dips into its own backyard, much like the Sens do with the National Capital Region. After Nick Seeler spent two years at Nebraska-Omaha and then transferred to the University of Minnesota for this season, the Wild signed their 2011 fifth-round pick, adding a steady 6-foot-2 defenseman to their organization. However, with the team chasing a playoff spot, it wouldn't be wise to throw in such a green defenseman, even one who's already 22 years old. He'll serve as a depth defenseman for the moment and most likely report to AHL Iowa to finish the season.
Michael Brodzinski, a Minnesota native who played for the Gophers for three seasons, also signed up with the team that drafted him. A fifth-round pick by San Jose in 2013, he's more dynamic offensively, but it'd be similarly unfair to toss him right into the fire when the Sharks are still looking to clinch a playoff spot. He's undersized, but moves well and shoots right-handed, two things that could forward his NHL career. The Sharks have rotated guys through their bottom pairing for much of the season, so if the regular rotation doesn't work, coach Pete DeBoer may consider using Brodzinski, but it'll most likely be in a limited role. If he plays, he has the second-most upside after Nelson.
Undrafted Providence alum Tom Parisi, however, is in a less competitive situation; as a result, he'll likely see a game or two with the Habs, who signed him after four solid seasons for the Friars. Parisi, a New York native, notched double-digit points in each of his final three college seasons. On a blue line that's been depleted with a few injuries, Parisi will likely step in as a depth player and see limited minutes, if he even plays at all. It should be noted, however, that the Habs haven't fared well with NCAA products since taking Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin) and Max Pacioretty (Michigan) in the 2007 draft, since striking out with Louis Leblanc (Harvard), Danny Kristo (North Dakota) and David Fischer (Minnesota).
The Coyotes didn't dip into the college ranks, but did manage to sign North Bay Battalion defenseman Kyle Wood, who was acquired in the trade that sent Mikkel Boedker to Colorado. The first thing anyone notices about Wood is his size, as he's 6-foot-5 and north of 220 pounds. The real prize of the trade was first-round pick Conner Bleakley, but Dave Tippett has always been very good at developing defensemen and may be able to turn Wood into a top-four blueliner. Wood can really shoot the puck – he's scored 24 goals over the past two seasons in the OHL.
Meanwhile, the Stars are stockpiling some talented European defenseman. With John Klingberg, Ludwig Bystrom, Esa Lindell and Julius Honka (a can't-miss) already in the system, their crop has been bolstered by the recent addition of Niklas Hansson, a third-round pick from 2013 who signed after the conclusion of the Swedish Hockey League season. He's yet another smooth-skating, right-handed shooter, and he finished as HV71's highest-scoring defenseman. Hansson's no Klingberg, but there's no doubt he can move the puck. If all of the Stars' prospects hit their ceiling, you're looking at the most mobile and dangerous group in the league.
Last week's top five performers:
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI – He played just shy of 21 minutes in his return after a six-game absence due to a shoulder injury, finished the night with an assist and plus-3 rating (granted it was the Oilers), then scored the game-winner against Dallas the next game, along with five shots and a plus-2 rating. In short, this guy's just amazing. He's one of five defenseman with at least 200 shots on net. The Coyotes, by the way, won all three games with OEL back in the lineup this past week.
Shea Weber, NAS – He was a roto league monster this week, delivering a goal, two assists, eight hits, 11 blocks and 11 shots on net. Weber has four points in his past four games, while the Preds have won three straight, outscoring their opponents 13-5 in the process. Defensive partner Roman Josi had a goal and four assists in that span; he and Weber form, in my opinion, the best regular pairing in the league.
Kris Letang, PIT – The oft-injured defenseman is four shots shy of joining the 200-shot club, and has two goals and three assists in his past five games. Scott Wedgewood stood on his head to shut out the Pens last week; otherwise, Letang's squad has been nearly perfect over the past nine games. He added an assist on Sidney Crosby's overtime winner against the Rangers on Sunday.
Keith Yandle, NYR – He's never high on my fantasy lists, but credit has to be given when due; Yandle did have back-to-back two-assist games to help the Rangers win three of their past four. After finishing ninth in blueliner scoring last year, he has 44 points this season, which ranks 14th among NHL defensemen. He's regularly among the leaders in assists, but doesn't score many goals.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN – The Wild pulled a 2-1 win out of the hat against the Kings and then stomped Calgary, 6-2, thanks to Spurgeon's two goals, then shut out division-rival Colorado in a 4-0 win, in which he finished with a plus-3 rating. He has just 28 points on the season, but would get a lot more points if he wasn't fourth in power-play ice time (1:40) among Minnesota defensemen; the overmatched Mike Rielly (1:55) and the very boring Ryan Suter (3:41) average more, and that's a travesty. At his best, Spurgeon is like Shayne Gostisbehere lite – they're not big, but they move super well and score goals, not to mention they're both still wearing their rookie jersey numbers.
Top five four trending up:
Michael Stone, ARI – Playing with Ekman-Larsson certainly has his benefits, and while Stone is no Josi to OEL's Weber, he still has managed to score 36 points this season. He's on a three-game point streak, all of them Coyote wins, yet is still owned in roughly one-third of Yahoo leagues. The Coyotes will finish the season with four of their last six games on the road, including three straight Central Division matchups, so be wary of that if you pick him up. [UPDATE: Stone is now out for the season with a lower-body injury. Ouch.]
Joel Edmundson, STL – He scored his first NHL goal Friday against Vancouver, then followed that up with another strong performance against the Caps, playing 22:58, eight minutes above his season average. Steady yet unspectacular, he's been quite good for the Blues on the third pairing, and with a playoff spot already clinched, there's a chance he will see an uptick in ice time.
Casey Nelson, BUF – He notched a second assist on Hudson Fasching's first NHL goal Saturday while playing on the third pairing, but Nelson certainly has a skill set that will translate well to the pros. He skates and moves the puck well, and should see a few more games to wind down the season. The Sabres want to see what he's really got even though all signs point toward him starting in the minors next season.
Dmitry Kulikov, FLA – Offensively, he hasn't lived up to expectations in the pros, but he doesn't need to score very often with Aaron Ekblad and Brian Campbell on the roster. However, he does have two assists in his past three games, and he's recorded at least a shot and a hit in each of his past four. He'll be key to a long playoff run.
Adam Clendening, PIT – He scored his first goal of the season against San Jose and then notched an assist against Los Angeles, so it looks for the time being like Clendening has found a semi-regular home. There are a lot of things he can still work on, but at the very least he's starting to produce offensively in a whirlwind season. It's funny that Clendening couldn't stick with struggling Vancouver and Edmonton clubs, but ended up in a great situation with the Penguins.
Top five trending down:
Duncan Keith, CHI – The bad news: He hasn't scored a goal since March 6 and has just one assist in his past five games. The good news: The Blackhawks will finish the season with a three-game home stand with Boston and Arizona on the slate. He's miles ahead of Yandle as a player, but their fantasy values are rather similar.
Tyson Barrie, COL – He's just two games removed from scoring in consecutive contests, but those goals came against Edmonton and Calgary. In two high-pressure games at home, including one against the Wild, Barrie tallied zero points and just one shot on net. He's dynamite offensively, but not the type of player that can anchor a blue line.
Ryan McDonagh, NYR – The Rangers' captain doesn't have to score to make a difference, much like Keith, but it would be nice if he could chip in once in a while. He's gone seven games without a point as the Blueshirts continue their playoff push. As it stands, however, they will face Pittsburgh in the first round. Yikes.
Torey Krug, BOS – The Bruins have lost five of their past six, while Krug remains at three goals for the season. He's a puck-distributing power-play quarterback who will rack up the assists, but his shooting efficiency is abnormally low – he's fired 219 shots on net. In all likelihood, the Bruins will make the playoffs because Detroit's goaltending is sinking them, but if Krug can't be a difference maker, it'll be a short first-round series.
T.J. Brodie, CGY – He's on a three-game skid with a minus-4 rating in that span, though to be fair, he's just coming back from an upper-body injury that forced him to sit three games. The Flames' next four games are on the road, including tilts against Anaheim and L.A., which makes Brodie an unappetizing option for the stretch drive.
