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For this week's Player Profiles, we have chosen a collection of awesome young talents including the NHL's leading scorer Anze Kopitar, Chicago's brilliant defensive star Brent Seabrook and the New York Islanders promising young winger Kyle Okposo.
Anze Kopitar
This year's leading scorer is Anze Kopitar, a 22-year-old Slovenian center earning $6.0 million for the Los Angeles Kings. He was selected in the 1st round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, played one more season in the Swedish Elite League, and has been in the NHL ever since.
Legend:
RPM: Relative Plus-Minus
OGVT/DGVT: Offensive and Defensive GVT
PCO/PCD: Offensive and Defensive Player Contribution
Season Age Team GP G A PTS RPM OGVT DGVT PCO PCD
2006-07 19 LAK 72 20 41 61 +3 5.6 2.3 42.4 23.4
2007-08 20 LAK 82 32 45 77 -2 11.5 1.4 69.0 14.1
2008-09 21 LAK 82 27 39 66 -4 6.8 3.0 41.5 22.4
From day one Anze Kopitar had a positive contribution to the Los Angeles Kings, at both ends of the ice, according to both GVT and PC. In 2007-08, his game took on a slightly different complection when he and linemate Alexander Frolov advanced their offensive game to an elite level with only a marginal sacrifice in defensive play. Kopitar returned to his previous form last season, but is really strong out of the gate this year.
Offense
ESG/ESA/PPG/PPA: Even-strength/Power Play Goals/Assists
ESGFA/PPGFA: Even-strength/Power Play Goals-For Average
QTeam: Quality of Teammates
GvA: Giveaways per 60 minutes
Draw: Penalties drawn per 60 minutes
ValO: Offensive GVT per 60 minutes
PCO: Offensive PC per 60 minutes
Season ESG ESA ESGFA PPG PPA PPGFA QTeam GvA Draw ValO PCO
2006-07 0.7 1.1 2.47 1.3 4.0 7.92 -- 1.5 -- 0.17 1.72
2007-08 0.9 1.0 2.55 2.2 4.0 7.93 0.02 3.0 1.8 0.32 2.44
2008-09 0.9 1.1 2.71 1.3 3.0 5.89 0.03 2.6 0.9 0.18 1.48
Kopitar's even-strength contributions have increased very gradually, from 1.8 per 60 minutes as a rookie, to a barely top-6 level of 2.0 last season, helping his goals-for average creep up from 2.47 to 2.71. Until last season he was dominant with the man advantage, which is certainly the main reason why it came across as a big step down offensively from his amazing sophomore season.
Defense
ESGAA/SHGAA: Even-strength/Short-handed Goals-Against Average
QComp: Quality of competition
FO%: Face-off win percentage
Tm%: Percentage of all faceoffs taken
Hit: Hits Thrown per 60 minutes
BkS: Shots Blocked per 60 minutes
TkA: Takeaways per 60 minutes
Pen: Minor penalties taken per 60 minutes
ValD: Defensive GVT per 60 minutes
PCD: Defensive PC per 60 minutes
Season ESGAA SHGAA QComp FO% Tm% Hit BkS TkA Pen ValD PCD
2006-07 2.96 6.75 -- 46.1 28.8 2.2 1.3 1.7 - 0.07 0.95
2007-08 3.36 9.49 -0.06 49.2 25.0 1.7 1.4 1.8 0.3 0.04 0.50
2008-09 3.53 5.43 0.03 49.5 29.7 3.0 2.0 1.8 0.4 0.08 0.80
Last season was Kopitar's best on the penalty kill (5.43 goals-against average), in face-offs (though still below 50%), physically (3.0 hits per 60 minutes), in blocking shots (2.0) and in takeaways (1.8). Nevertheless, GVT ranks him only slightly above replacement-level, and the Kings just recently started using him against above-average opponents, which helps expain why his 5-on-5 goals-against average keeps going up, all the way to a worrisome 3.53.
Wrap Up
The Los Angeles Kings are very fortunate to have the young Anze Kopitar as their marquee player, especially since his hot start proves that his brilliant offensive 2007-08 season was no fluke. Continued development at even-strength and the discovery of a strong defensive game is all it would take for us to start hearing his name pitched as the league's best player.
Brent Seabrook
In 2003 the Chicago Blackhawks selected Brent Seabrook of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round. After the lockout season, Seabrook joined the team and the 24-year-old has missed only one game in the past 3 seasons. He is earning $3.5 million this season.
Season Age Team GP G A PTS RPM OGVT DGVT PCO PCD
2006-07 21 CHI 81 4 20 24 -2 1.8 2.8 9.0 38.6
2007-08 22 CHI 82 9 23 32 7 4.4 5.0 18.9 35.9
2008-09 23 CHI 82 8 18 26 7 1.4 6.0 14.3 47.2
Brent Seabrook has contributed at a consistent level for the Chicago Blackhawks over the past three seasons. His best season offensively was 2007-08, otherwise his primary contributions have been in his own end, where the youngster has always been strong, and gradually improving.
Offense
Season ESG ESA ESGFA PPG PPA PPGFA QTeam GvA Draw ValO PCO
2006-07 0.2 0.7 1.91 0.0 1.4 2.46 1.3 0.05 0.32
2007-08 0.2 0.6 2.59 1.3 2.6 6.08 0.07 1.4 0.3 0.12 0.64
2008-09 0.2 0.5 3.18 0.9 1.6 5.69 0.24 1.1 0.2 0.04 0.45
At even-strength, Seabrook's even-strength goals-for average has risen from 1.91 in 2006-07 to 3.18 last season, showing that he is being used more regularly to blue-line Chicago's top forwards. His amazing 0.24 QTeam statistic is further evidence that Seabrook has been the one playing alongside stars like Brian Campbell, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Martin Havlat. Despite that, his even-strength scoring has dropped from 0.9 points per 60 minutes to 0.7 in that same time period, meaning he's not really to credit for the increase in offense, which might drop dramatically if he's demote to the 2nd or 3rd line.
Defense
Season ESGAA SHGAA QComp Hit BkS TkA Pen ValD PCD
2006-07 2.40 5.44 -- 5.2 4.6 0.6 - 0.08 1.38
2007-08 2.18 8.28 0.27 5.7 3.6 0.7 1.1 0.14 1.22
2008-09 2.22 7.08 0.08 7.0 3.5 0.8 0.8 0.17 1.48
In 2007-08 Seabrook was used against the very best competition (0.27 QComp) and yet kept even-strength scoring to a very reasonable 2.18 per 60 minutes. His already impressive physical play has improved, throwing 7.0 hits per 60 minutes, even though he has managed to decrease his total number of minor penalties taken down to 0.8. He blocks fewer shots now than he used to (3.5 per 60 minutes in 2008-09, down from 4.6 three seasons ago), but both his GVT and his PC indicate that he is among the league's best defensive defensemen, and gradually improving in his own end.
Wrap Up
Brent Seabrook has earned a reputation of being one of the league's top defensive defensemen, and is so valuable in that capacity that Chicago has come to use him on their top unit. The young superstar could have an opportunity to play for the Gold Medal on the Canadian Olympic team, and certainly a good chance to compete for the Stanley Cup in the very near future.
Kyle Okposo
For the bargain price of $850,000 the Islanders are enjoying the fine play of 21-year-old winger Kyle Okposo, whom they chose 7th overall in the 2006 Entry draft.
Season Age Team GP G A PTS RPM OGVT DGVT PCO PCD
2008-09 20 NYI 65 18 21 39 6 4.0 1.8 14.6 14.9
Kyle Okposo had a good rookie season at both ends of the ice. According to GVT, his primary contributions were in the opponent's zone, but PC is a little more cool about his offensive contributions.
Offense
Season ESG ESA ESGFA PPG PPA PPGFA QTeam GvA Draw ValO PCO
2008-09 0.6 1.1 2.19 2.6 1.2 6.39 -0.14 1.5 1.0 0.16 0.75
1.7 even-strength points per 60 minutes towards a 2.19 even-strength goals-for average is more typical of a third-line forward, but it's good enough for top-6 on the offense-starved Islanders. His -0.14 QTeam statistic demonstrates how Okposo had to struggle alongside weaker linemates and suggests he would do better on a more gifted line. His 2.6 power play goals per 60 minutes puts him among New York's most credible threats with the man advantage.
Defense
Season ESGAA SHGAA QComp Hit BkS TkA Pen ValD PCD
2008-09 2.60 5.42 0.04 3.3 1.5 3.9 0.8 0.07 0.76
Despite being a rookie, Okposo was not sheltered from skilled opponents (QComp 0.04). His defensive numbers are above average across the board, especially his sparkling 3.9 takeaways per 60 minutes, meaning Okposo could evolve into a solid two-way forward in the years to come.
Wrap Up
Kyle Okposo is a talented young two-way forward who may not be making today's headlines, but could easily become one of New York's key top-6 impact players as he develops.
Please send suggestions for next week's Player Profiles to either Robert Vollman at RVollman@PuckProspectus.com or to Andrew Rothstein at ARothstein@PuckProspectus.com
Robert Vollman is an author of Hockey Prospectus.
You can contact Robert by clicking here or click here to see Robert's other articles.
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