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A strong two-way player with good hockey sense

Decent skater

The Swedish forward is a good skater who can play a solid two-way game and has a solid compete level

Versatile two-way forward.

He was a good bottom six forward that had quality on his defensive game too

Larsson had some decent advanced stats per Natural Stat Trick. He had a Corsi For percentage of 55.35 percent

Former Sabres coach Dan Bylsma once said the scouting report on Larsson was “he’s grumpy, miserable, hard guy to play against.”

Still, Larsson, a tenacious presence who can kill penalties, has kept earning regular duty.

Before the season, Krueger, Larsson’s fifth coach with the Sabres, spoke glowingly of him.

“It’s nice that he believes in me and trusts in me and gives me some confidence,” Larsson said.

“It causes them to just not think defensively, because they already do such good work defensively that they don’t have to think about being back, because our system kind of takes care of that,”

talked to a few coaches in the league of scouting reports on their players and their individuals and this Larsson kid he is tough to play against, he is a gritty player, he played a hard game, they had to watch this guy when he was on the ice and take note of him, he’s in that mix of those players.

Larsson is a great fit for the Wild not only in his two-way and team-oriented style

he can be a dominant two-way player

And versatility might just be Larsson's greatest attribute

Has grown into a greater defense-minded role

He still has plenty of mobility

now spends more time killing penalties than on the power play. He can play well over 20 minutes per game on a consistent basis

Excels at shutting down scorers

Excellent shutdown defenseman

Overall, a lot of the numbers for Parayko were solid, as he was a plus-16, and that’s the third-best he has ever had

He set career highs for playing time (23:33 average in regular season), defensive zone starts (63 percent) and blocked shots (169)

He earned a plus-32 rating in his last 38 games

Parayko's puck moving ability has shone early

What impresses me about Parayko is his skill and skating ability. If you put him on a stopwatch, he might not be the fastest skater around, but he can blow by people

Kind of hard to miss a 6-foot-6, 230-pound mass coming your way, especially when it's on skates and coming in like a freight train

But when you're a shutdown force at the game's biggest stage, you're noticed on all corners of the Earth

Craig Berbube once said facing Parayko and partner Jay Bouwmeester was like going through a car wash on the ice. Nothing seemed to get through them, and that's why the Blues' coach would tap the duo's shoulders quite regularly as his shutdown pair.

"We put them together there and they just became a real good shutdown pair there, two big guys that have great sticks, both can skate, play the whole game pretty much and they just go out there and do their thing," Berube said. "It's been a good pairing for them guys for sure."

He is smart and responsible in the defensive zone and rarely out of position. Whitecloud does not panic when under pressure

upon return should continue his role as a stay-at-home, penalty-killing

He is at his best when focused on keeping the puck out of his own net; he makes an excellent running mate for an offensive partner. He has grown into the kind of player coaches trust in key situations

Reliable stay-at-home defenseman

Whitecloud had really solid impacts both offensively and defensively

Whitecloud had very strong underlying numbers, and he ended the season with an expected goals for percentage of 55.79, a Corsi for percentage of 53.23, and a goals for percentage of 57.92. At 5v5 he was generated 3.37 goals for per 60, and allowing just 2.45 goals against which is a pretty nice ratio

He is a tremendous skater, both fast and quick, and can make plays at high speeds.

A quick, shifty forward

Brink’s skating is good but there is still room for improvement in a number of key areas. His speed is slightly above average but he is by no means a speedster. While he can keep up with the play, there is little to set him apart from his peers at top speed. However, Brink has excellent acceleration. His first few steps are explosive and he can use those to get away from a defender or to win short races for loose pucks. He also changes speeds on the rush, which can be used to fool a defender.

Brink has good footwork and agility, allowing him to weave in and out of traffic and around defenders. He can make a cut on a dime. Brink has a low centre of gravity. This gives him good balance and allows him to be strong on the puck. He gets to the dirty areas of the ice and is able to fight through tight checking.

Victor Hedman is one of the fastest, smoothest skating d-men around, the irony in this is that he comes in at around 6'7" and 230lbs

Hedman is a defenseman out of the ordinary. The tall and strong defenseman has a unique combination of size and speed. He accelerates very well and at full speed there are few, if any, defenseman of such stature that can match Hedman.

His combination of size (6'6", 241 pounds) and elite skating ability make him tough to get around.

Is emerging as one of the NHL’s best two-way centers. He drives play, thinks the game well, plays a good two-way style

Outstanding two-way center

When you talk about players with elite hockey IQs, the conversation is incomplete without talking about Suzuki. He processes the game at a very high level, and displays positioning and awareness that coaches would wish all their players to have

His anticipation in being able to cut off passes both in his end and the neutral zone make it tough for opponents to generate much when he’s on the ice

Suzuki is as close to the complete package as you can get, so the best bet might be to discuss the one question that exists for him within the Canadiens lineup. Can he take on the minutes that used to be reserved for the departed Phillip Danault?

It’s a tough ask. Most who follow this team would agree that Suzuki’s defensive game has improved vastly through his two years in the league

"He's a mini Patrice Bergeron, to me."--Jonathan Drouin on Nick Suzuki.

Suzuki is quickly becoming the Canadiens’ best center – he’s improving every season and has a solid two-way game. He was a key figure all season on the power play (PP), and as this season’s playoffs showed, he’s become quite adept at killing penalties as well. Suzuki has displayed everything he needs to prove he is a star talent: excellent passing, solid shot, elite hockey IQ, and success on special teams

Canadiens head coach Dominque Ducharme discusses all the improvement he’s seen on the defensive side from top scorer Nick Suzuki, and how he’s evolving as a centre and as a two-way player in this league

Of course, Suzuki is the glue that holds this line together, or any line he pilots for that matter. What is becoming truly exceptional about his game is his ability to generate offence from defensive positions

Through his positioning, Suzuki plays both defence and offence at the same time. He makes those F3 reads or high rotations to cover for teammates, but does it in ways to support the attack. Like in the following play where he sees his defenceman pinch down the wall on the opposite side of the ice. He moves high to compensate, but stills sets up in space as a pass option, using the width of the ice to stretch the offence. He doesn’t extend too far from the play, choosing a distance that he can cover with his skating if the play goes south.

When it does, Suzuki strides hard, moves ahead of his check, and when a pass comes to the opponent, he slips in between the opposing body and the puck, stopping the play. Many players his age would only use their stick to knock the puck away or tie up the opponent, but Suzuki is growing more and more physical. He wants to win inside positioning on the puck to prevent opponents from accessing it entirely — a safer, more direct, and effective approach

Soucy is a 6’5″ defender who is a strong skater and puck mover for a player of his size

A bit of a late bloomer, Soucy has only 145 NHL games under his belt. However, he’s graded out quite well in terms of Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement (GAR), expected goals above replacement (xGAR), and RAPM. He’s graded out well defensively by RAPM in all three of his NHL seasons. While many of his minutes in Minnesota came on the third pairing, he is matching up against top lines more often with Seattle.

153 defensemen have played 2000+ minutes over the past three seasons. Here is how Soucy ranks in terms of GAR and xGAR on a per-minute basis:

Statistic Number Rank (of 153)
EV GAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.505(9th)
EV GAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.441(18th)
EV xGAR/60 (Without Penalty Diff)- 0.412(26th)
EV xGAR/60 (With Penalty Diff)- 0.348(32nd)

That’s pretty darn impressive

Here is the list of players who rank ahead of him if we ignore penalty differential:

GAR: Ellis, McAvoy, Weegar, Makar, Hamilton, Pulock, Fox, Toews.

xGAR: Hamilton, Spurgeon, Makar, Weegar, Ekblad, DeAngelo, Toews, Fox, McAvoy, Matheson, Petry, Hedman, Orlov, Werenski, Grzelcyk, Pelech, Theodore, Josi, Holden (?), Carlson, Chychrun, Sanheim, Gosisbehere, Ellis, Fowler

his 6’5″ frame is an asset on the penalty kill

Next, Soucy’s a great skater for a player of his size, so his skillset should pair nicely with Muzzin, Sandin, or Lyubushkin. While I wouldn’t call any of those players pylons, they likely all benefit from playing with someone who covers as much ground as Soucy. Sandin also doesn’t offer much in terms of reach, so if he’s going to transition into the top four, you’d like him with a partner who can help to compensate for that

However, Soucy’s ability to play on either side would allow you to move someone like Dermott comfortably. I do see him as an upgrade; given his skating, strength, and long reach, it’s difficult for opponents to generate offense when he’s on the ice

With his size and speed, it feels like he covers half of the ice at all times

His numbers are excellent at even strength. Given how great Toronto’s special teams have been, that’s all they really care about. I watched him play on the right side against Boston’s top lines on Thursday night; he was also on the ice when his team killed a five-on-three

While he saw some secondary power-play time, registering two primary assists, he saw a career-high in penalty killing time with just over 97 minutes over his 64 games

He led the team in plus/minus as a plus-7, one of only four players that finished the season above a plus-1 rating

He could find himself in the top-four, depending on how things shake up, and be back on the penalty kill

he’s actually putting together one of the best defensive performances in the NHL this season, and deserves even more recognition for his efforts than he’s getting

in Darryl Sutter‘s system—is to limit chances against at all costs. The third pair hasn’t been relied on to drive any offence or carry the puck through the neutral zone with any regularity. Instead, their job is to shut things down, snuff the opposing forwards, and get the puck out.

Zadorov hasn’t just embraced this role, he’s excelled at it so far. The follow stats are taken at 5v5 for all defencemen this season who have played at least 30 games.

STATISTIC CA/60(ranked 4th) FA/60(ranked 9th) SA/60(ranked 14th)
Raw Value 44.93 35.67 26.36

In shot attempts against per 60 minutes, which is important because it adjusts for ice time between defenders, Zadorov has allowed the fourth least in the entire NHL at 5v5. For unblocked shot attempts, he ranks ninth, and for shots on goal against he ranks 14th

When you look a bit deeper at the danger of those shot attempts, Zadorov still ranks very highly in terms of limiting chances against.

STATISTIC SCA/60(ranked 7th) HDCA/60(ranked 23rd) XGA/60(ranked 29th)
Raw Value 22.79 9.26 2.21

For scoring chances against, Zadorov has allowed the seventh least amount per 60 minutes this seasons. For high-danger chances against, he ranks 23rd. Not only is Zadorov limiting chances against from every area of the ice, he’s doing an excellent job snuffing out opposing scoring chances. For expected goals against, Zadorov ranks 29th.

In each category, Zadorov is performing like a number one shutdown defender on any given team. He’s done an incredible job keeping the game low event in his own zone and keeping his goaltenders happy

Forwards who play against Zadorov have had a tough time generating quality looks against Jacob Markstrom and Daniel Vladar, and this is a huge factor heading into the playoffs. The ability to rely on your third pairing to shut things down is important, and will be relied upon when games get tougher

With Zadorov on the ice, the Flames are able to generate 18% more expected goals for and allow 15% fewer expected goals against. Zadorov has been instrumental in driving play on both sides of the rink, and the Flames are a better team in both zones when he’s out there

There are certain players who are just built for the playoffs. Zadorov appears to be one of those players.

When the postseason rolls around, it will be a massive help to have a player like Zadorov—who can effectively shut down any forward group that comes at him

Over the past couple months, we’ve also been able to see that Zadorov is not a one-trick pony either. He can carry the puck up the ice, he can make plays around other defenders, and he can dish out hits like nobody’s business. When you talk about X-factors heading into the playoffs, the usual suspects in Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Markstrom, etc. all come to mind. But don’t sleep on Zadorov, who could hit another gear altogether when the playoffs roll around

National Hockey League teams love his size, which makes him a physical presence in his own zone and a crease clearer. His long reach helps him break up plays

The Texas-native is a multi-tool power forward who drives play in tough minutes and creates offence with speed and physicality. The two-time Stanley Cup champion brings talents that address the Flames’ needs and, perhaps more importantly, offers a skill set perfectly suited for the type of game head coach Darryl Sutter hopes to execute

Coleman’s strong defensive impact will be embraced by a Flames team looking to be harder to play against and more defensive-minded under Sutter. During his time in Tampa Bay, Coleman, along with Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, were consistently driving play at even strength and shutting down other team’s top players. Coleman’s play driving and shot suppression prowess can be leveraged for strong even-strength results. According to Puck IQ, Coleman has consistently been used against elite-level competitors over the last three seasons

Season Team TOI % vs Elite Compeition Defensive Zone Starts per 60 xGF%
2018-19 NJD 40.9% (4th) 11.93 (3rd) 49.61% (7th)
2019-20 NJD 41.8% (1st) 10.99 (4th) 50.26% (3rd)
TB 44.9% (1st) 9.94 (8th) 46.16% (14th)
2020-21 TB 26.4% (2nd) 8.59 (5th) 57.56% (2nd)

Coleman has produced very strong on-ice results at even strength going head to head against other team’s top lines and starting a large portion of his shifts in the defensive zone. He’s been tasked with the toughest minutes and has still been able to push play. The Flames could have two of the strongest two-way skaters in Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane in their forward ranks. This could be an important tactical advantage in the offence-heavy Pacific Division

When Darryl Sutter took over from Geoff Ward, he continually stressed the importance of playing with pace and playing with speed. Not many play the game faster and with more pace than Coleman. Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper described the Gourde, Goodrow, Coleman trio as “non-stop.” That is music to Sutter’s ears. Coleman is an attacking force in all three zones and in all situations. His combination of speed and raw power is an attractive one for a team looking to employ a system predicated on moving up ice with possession, chasing down loose pucks, establishing a forecheck, and owning the ice down low

As such, he is an excellent forechecker and proficient at creating chances off of puck retrievals and strong cycles. Last season, the Flames generated much of their offensive attack from a relentless forecheck

Coleman will look to expertly apply his craft with a forechecking and cycle-based team. His ability to pressure defenders with speed and physical contact was on full display in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and his speedy, tenacious, heavy brand of hockey was integral in boosting the Lightning to back-to-back championships

His physical attributes (especially speed) are what make him great

The Rangers defenceman who Coleman sped past with apparent ease? That would be none other than reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox.

Coleman is an extremely fast player. He’s strong on the puck and takes a ton of shots (he peppered Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin with eight on Monday). When he needs to be, he’s capable of being the most noticeable physical presence on the ice surface

Best of all, he drives play. In Coleman’s small amount of 5-on-5 ice-time this season, the Flames have dominated their opponents. His +12.31 relative on-ice expected goals percentage ranks third-best on the team

Coleman was an effective player in all zones in Tampa who showed the ability to do it all. He had the speed, tenacity, defensive acumen

"The boy can skate," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said

the Lightning acquiring an "Energizer bunny" who can hit, skate, block shots, kill penalties

But he creates his own just with his speed and his tenacity, he'll create his own chances. You always hear that 200-foot player thrown around, but he's been put in situations on the defensive side of things and has excelled

He is excellent defensively, with good speed and instincts, and drives play well during five-on-five play. He can also kill penalties and generally keeps the puck moving the right way when he is on the ice

Speedy, gritty two-way forward

but he's a better playmaker and two-way player

Both his playmaking and two-way game have evolved as he has matured. Plays with enough grit and aggression to keep opponents honest. His performance on face-offs has also improved over time. He is a captain, a leader and a Stanley Cup champion. Is still a shooter first and foremost but his passing skills and 200-foot game are solid and continue to improve

Stamkos and Yzerman, with the two elevating their two-way game