2008-09 Rink Wrap: Eric Fehr
by David Getz on May 27, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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PrintFrom Alzner to Varlamov, we're taking a look at and grading the 2008-09 season for every player who laced 'em up for the Caps for a significant number of games during the campaign, with an eye towards 2009-10. Next up, Eric Fehr.
Eric Fehr
#16 / Right Wing / Washington Capitals
6-4
212
Sep 07, 1985
4
Arbitration eligible RFA; qualifying offer of $771,750 needed to retain rights. Contract of $735,000 in '08-'09
5.36
Key Stat: Fehr scored 2.93 1.04 goals for every sixty minutes of five-on-five ice time he played, more than any Capital with a first name other than 'Alex'.
Interesting Stat: Fehr averaged 11:14 of ice time in regular season games, 12th among Capitals forwards.
The Good: By the numbers Fehr was surprisingly effective, especially given him limited ice team and mediocre teammates. In five-on-five situations Fehr scored more often than anyone other than Alexander Ovechkin or Alexander Semin and registered points more often than anyone other than Ovechkin, Semin, or Nicklas Backstrom. Fehr's also an effective forechecker and helps create opportunities for his teammates, something his 2.98 five-on-five GFON/60 (sixth among Capitals forwards) attests to.
Fehr also had a solid year in some of the more under-appreciated facets of the game: he drew penalties more often than anyone else on the Capitals, and his 3.17 penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio was second best on the team, behind Brooks Laich. Fehr also had a solid year in his own end, finishing tied for third in plus-minus, ending the season with the fourth-best five-on-five GAON/60 despite playing against some of the toughest competition of anyone on the team, and recording the second-highest Corsi rating among forwards.
The Bad: During the regular season Fehr's biggest issue was consistency. Fehr started the season by posting eight points in 17 games, then registered just two in 12 games before a monster February that saw him notch 11 points (including seven goals) in 13 games to go along with a plus-six rating. Fehr dropped off in March, though, scoring just once in thirteen games before rebounding to post three points in six games in April. Some of that can be explained away or excused by Fehr's lack of ice time, but at least some of the blame has to fall on Fehr.
For all he does well in the "under-appreciated parts of the game" department, Fehr could still do better, especially when it comes to utilizing his big frame (he's listed by the Capitals at 6'4'', 212) - Fehr only threw 24 hits and only blocked ten shots in his 63 games, both numbers that are simply unacceptably low. In addition, although the idea of Fehr being a guy who only takes low percentage shots from the outside is largely a meme (among qualifying forwards only 14.6% had shorter average shot distances, only 18.4% had shorter average wrist shot distances, and only one Capitals player had a shorter average wrist shot distance), he still needs to a better job when it comes to shot selection.
Fehr's biggest failure on the season had to be the postseason, where he was simply abysmal. In addition to failing to register a point and posting a team forward worst minus-three rating, Fehr's 2.90 five-on-five GAON/60 bettered only Hershey call-up Jay Beagle.
The Vote: Rate Fehr below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season - if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.
The Discussion: Given all Fehr did well in '08-'09, does he deserve a bigger role next season? Or does his inconsistency and lack of physical play negate his production to the extent that fourth line minutes are appropriate? Finally, if Fehr is deserving of more ice time, what are the odds that Bruce Boudreau gives it to him?
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I gave Eric an 8. I didn’t really expect much from him, basically a rookie that has already had back problems. Also didn’t expect him to get much ice time, which he didn’t.
His numbers looked pretty good for the most part during the regular season, and I expect that after a full year in the NHL, he and the coaches have a pretty good idea on what he needs to work on for next year. Getting more physical and playing more defense are things that are usually fixed by time in the weight room and experience.
With it looking like Kozlov is definitely gone, Fehr has the perfect opportunity to move up and prove that he can be effective with more ice time and opportunity. He has the big body and forechecking ability that we are missing on the top two lines. If we can just get him a little more physical, and get him to consistantly drive to the net and park out front, he could be an integral part of our team next year. Remember, he is still young and has less NHL experience than Flash.
it also isn’t so much his fault that his coach rather play him 5-7 minutes a game and play Flash double that at least.
I think Fehr is rounding into form and should make leaps and bounds of improvement this coming year.
If I could give an INC I would do so.
While I’m sure that Bruce shoulders some of the blame, Fehr’s lack of ice time is Eric’s fault as well. We might not know it, or agree with it but Bruce has a reason for giving Fehr 4 minutes and Flash 14.
I hope and expect you are right about this year. Kozzy going to the KHL opens a big door for him to walk through.
Can Fehr step into Kozzie's spot?
We have to somehow hypnotize BB to get him off his weird Flash Fixation Thing and get him to give Fehr a chance.
Tell me again what Eric’s injury was at the end. Dislocated shoulder, was it? Is this easily fixed or is it chronic? Can better conditioning prevent it?
Fehr is not Kozlov. Only Semin is a better stickhandler on this team than Kozlov, and after AO and Backs (and Nyls), the level falls way, way off. Fehr is a scorer, through and through. So, no, he can’t replace Kozlov, but he could potentially replace Clark on the 1st line, and be a big, strong, crash bang PWRFWD. That’d be nice, but I think he needs to gain about 25 lbs. beforehand.
by DrinkingPartner on May 27, 2009 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Fehr has the size – his 212 pounds are more than Bradley, Laich, Tomas Holstrom, or Dustin Brown – he just needs to use it.
It’s not just weight. Those guys all have a lower center of gravity and I’d bet are stronger in their core. Fehr’s got some work to do this summer.
Fehr’s got someworksteroids to do this summer.
Fixed that for you (and made it topical!).
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It might be as much an issue of intestinal fortitude as physical strength or size.
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No doubt. I still think Fehr has the hands, size, speed, skill, etc to hang with the guys in the top six, but he needs to make better use of the talent he has, whether that’s an issue of playing smarter or getting tougher.
I’m hopeful, but reserve the right to withdraw all hope at next year’s All-Star break.
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I don't think Fehr is an ideal fit for our first line - with or without 25lb
Imo, our ideal first-line RW has to do five things in the following order:
1. Be defensively responsible enough to cover for Ovi when Ovi leaves the defensive zone early or decides to cherry-pick.
2. Grind/Fish the puck out of the corners and get it on 8 or 19’s stick.
3. Bang home any garbage around the net
4. Protect Ovi from cheap shots
5. Be the second draw-man when 19 is kicked out of the circle
Kozlov was excellent on #1, good on #2, terrible on #3, non-existent on #4 and below-average on #5.
Clark, from 2 years ago, was good at #1, #2, #3 and #4 and non-existent on #5. But that guy’s gone and never coming back.
Fehr is an ideal plug for #2 and #3 and non-existent for #4 and #5. But defense is the first priority for the first line RW and if you want Fehr to be a power forward with +25lbs, there’s no way he will be able to cover both ends of the ice. You’ll sacrifice a lot of #1 to get #3 (garbage goals) and I think that’s the wrong priority for the RW on the 8/19 line.
All that said, with VK’s departure and absent a RW FA signing, we may have no choice but to try experiment with Fehr on the top line.
by Kareem E. on May 27, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Realistically, though, how many players are there in the league that are good enough to play first line minutes on an offensively talented club, can protect a superstar player, and are decent faceoff men?
Forget protecting Ovi and winning draws, there aren’t many RWs who can play a skilled two-way game – with elements of grinding – for under $3m-$4m/season. That’s why I’m not so sure Kozlov’s departure won’t be noticed next year. For all the guy’s warts he was good at the two most important things we needed from him. I guess we’ll find out if Fehr/Flash/Clark/Laich/etc can step up as I would hate to see Semin used as a first-line RW.
I'm not sure I agree with this list . . .
1. Be defensively responsible enough to cover for Ovi when Ovi leaves the defensive zone early or decides to cherry-pick. No, this is Nicky’s job. He stays high and surveils the situation.
2. Grind/Fish the puck out of the corners and get it on 8 or 19’s stick. The putative RW’s Numero Uno job. You are correct here.
3. Bang home any garbage around the net - The next bullet in the RW’s job description, yes.
4. Protect Ovi from cheap shots. Not really . . . not someone on the 1st line, no.
5. Be the second draw-man when 19 is kicked out of the circle. - No, Ovie himself is the cat’s meow at this. The lightning fast bang+charge move. It worked about 75% of the time,as I recall.
Theoretically, it is the center’s job to cover the ice. In reality, we can’t expect Nicky to cover the whole ice defensively sans one forward AND push the play offensively. That’s why a defensively responsible RW is mandatory on the first line. I remember reading a quote from someone at the end of last season (Tarik maybe?) that said Kozlov got a vote for the Selke primarily because he covers for much of Ovi’s wanderings/cherry pickings.
I won’t argue with you about the importance of #4 and #5 – they’re nice-to-haves but not necessary for a RW. However, I will say that Ovi’s bang+charge move only works when the face-off is in the offensive zone to the left of the goalie. You don’t want Ovi taking a face-off anywhere else on the ice. He’s not good at it.
I remember reading a quote from someone at the end of last season (Tarik maybe?) that said Kozlov got a vote for the Selke primarily because he covers for much of Ovi’s wanderings/cherry pickings.
Maybe that’s part of the reason, but I think the biggest reason is that Kozlov was a +28 last season and lazy journalists will look at something like that and vote based off it.
Also I don’t know how much Ovechkin actually needs to be protected from cheap shots. He’s tough, durable, and has done fine considering Brashear no one has supported him
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I disagree. If Ovechkin and Backstrom wait for a while before shooting, that gives Fehr enough time to get up ice to get in front of the net. Plus, if they give up the puck less, there’s no need for a defensively-responsible RW, since they’ll have the puck all the time.
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
For all he does well in the “under-appreciated parts of the game” department, Fehr could still do better, especially when it comes to utilizing his big frame
Here’s my prediction for Fehr’s future development: Jeff Schultz. Fehr will quietly become a positionally very sound forward. An effective forechecker who is good as the second pass on the breakout. A solid player who you hardly notice until the end of the season when you look at the stats. Basically – Viktor Kozlov. But (if this prediction holds) he won’t be all that physical and he won’t hang around the net. And so he’ll earn a lot of ire from Caps fans while quietly being a very valuable part of one of the top lines.
In other words, he’ll be another intelligence test. DMG, start writing the next article now.
I think Fehr will score more goals next year than Kozzy scored in either of his years in WSH (16, 13).
If he gets the opportunity, I think you’re right. But it won’t be enough. I can hear it now: “Chris Clark scored 30 with Ovechkin. Fehr, go to the net!”
by Gould Old Days on May 27, 2009 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions
There is no question that’s the key for Fehr: Going to the net. I think we have a pretty good idea of the player he should be: A forechecker (and he seems to relish — and excel — at digging pucks out of corners) and a front-of-the-net guy. His problem in his first full NHL season was that he was inconsistent at going to the net.
I’m actually saying the opposite. What if he never turns into that style of player, but is effective nonetheless? What would you think of him?
by Gould Old Days on May 27, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
I would say thanks for all the help, good luck with your new team. We already have players that are very successful without being physical and going to the net. We need balance. If he isn’t willing to work to be the type of player the team needs and doesn’t currently have, then he needs to get his check from a team that needs that type of player.
I don’t really think this is the issue though. If he can stay healthy, I think he can work his game into what we need. He’s big enough, and he has great hands for those rebounds/tips/etc…
by HateOffSeason on May 27, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve got to agree with Tyler on this one. Of course, he almost outperformed Kozzy this year with no ice time and much less talented linemates.
The one thing I can say about Fehr is that when he is on the ice, he is usually noticeable. I’m not a supporter, any more than any other cap, but when he is on the ice you can usually see his efforts. The fact that he is a respectable forechecker gives me hope that he can increase the physical nature of his game. You just can’t be that good at bottling teams in their own end if you don’t hit.
Unfortunately, there were too many times where the reason you noticed him were when the defense would de-skate him in a crushing hit along the boards. He needs to work on that.
by HateOffSeason on May 27, 2009 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Fehr needs to be defensively more engaged. Lots of guys who score a zillion goals in juniors need to learn to play two ways in the NHL. Fehr is Exhibit A.
Sometimes it seems like he’s too deep on D, sometimes not deep enough. If his skating speed improves that would help a lot.
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
He had 16 last year; 26 the year before that, in large part because his shooting percentage was 15.2 (his career average is 8.6)
In that 26 goal season though he was playing inspired hockey. He hasn’t since. Fehr needs to do that to succeed.
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s my prediction for Fehr’s future development: Jeff Schultz. Fehr will quietly become a positionally very sound forward. An effective forechecker who is good as the second pass on the breakout. A solid player who you hardly notice until the end of the season when you look at the stats. Basically – Viktor Kozlov. But (if this prediction holds) he won’t be all that physical and he won’t hang around the net. And so he’ll earn a lot of ire from Caps fans while quietly being a very valuable part of one of the top lines.
In my opinion Fehr:Capitals coaches :: Schultz:Capitals fans
Excellent point. Wasn’t it Wise who wrote that the players at the end of the season get together were giving it to Fehr about how often and frequently he is yelled at by the coaches?
I think his performance deserved a 4 but I discounted that by his inability to get consistent ice time so I gave him a 5. Like most everyone else, I saw flashes of how good he can be- the entire sequence leading up to the goal he scored against Atlanta in the season’s final home game stands out- but he failed to finish his chances far too frequently.
Part of the difficulty I have in rating Fehr is that I am not entirely sure what kind of player he is and therefore I am not certain what my reasonable expectations should be. He is a tireless forechecker who seems willing to throw his body around but his 24 hits seem to belie that. As D’oh points out, he scored consistently in the minors but hasn’t done it in the NHL yet. Perplexing.
I hope the coaches figure out what they want/need Fehr to be and then give him a consistent opportunity next season to be that player. That’s the only way for the Caps to truly figure out what they have in Fehr.
You can't reason someone out of something they weren't reasoned into.
Fehr’s such a tough one to grade. Maybe the hardest.
On one hand, he produced despite not getting any PP time and very little in terms of consistent, quality linemates. On the other hand, every time he was given a shot at a bigger role, it seems, he failed to take advantage.
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Power up!
1) Coming into this season had high hopes for EF. Considering what the players drafted around him are doing perhaps the expectations were a bit high?
2) Nonetheless as mentioned on the post he did show flashes of the offensive flare that caused GMGM to draft him in the 1st round 6 years ago. However as also mentioned he didn’t play like the power forward that the team needs. His playoff disappearance also has to be cause of concern
3) That said we wouldn’t give up quite yet on Fehr. To earn a ‘Ten’ next season he’d have to play 75 games as a top 6 forward. Scoring 25-30 goals/60-70 pts and be a more physical presence.
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
What about his injuries that flared up in the post-season? That greatly impacted his ability to contribute.
Questions about his durability remain.
If he gets the same shot as Flash did/is, I think Fehr will be fine, but you never know. Is he another Matt Pettinger?
by S h a g g y on May 27, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Simplistic question, no? Pettinger was becoming a 20-goal-a-year guy and probably would have maintained that level if he hadn’t (repeatedly) shredded his shoulder.
(I think my point is obtuse, sorry. I mean that Fehr has had one moderate shoulder injury. Unfortunately for Princess, destroying his shoulder became a regular habit.)
a shoulder injury can seriously kill an offseason workout routine. Do we know how bad it was?
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by Sombrero Guy on May 27, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Pettinger never put up the kind of stats that might suggest actual goal-scoring prowess. Fehr put up back-to-back 50G seasons in junior, and two 20-goal seasons in the Hershey. Pettinger has had one 20-goal season at any level. Their respective track records suggest that they’re not on the same level, talent-wise.
Pettinger got very, very lucky the years that he scored 20 and 16. He got PP time and PK time (5 shorties in 06). He shot over 14% after shooting somewhere under 10% for his career before that.
I rated him 6
If Matt Brads is making a million to be your 3rd/4th checker RW, then EF is worth 1.5. This will be an interesting signing decision for the Caps. A possible trade chip this summer?
I have felt all year long that Fehr was this close, but there is something about the speed of his game— getting shots off, blocking shots, taking and giving checks—that really needs to rev up a notch before he gets significantly more minutes. For a 10 next year, he’ll need to be over that hump, and with resulting minutes and more prolific linemates, I can see 17-20G. More realistically, 3rd line RW 12-15G and 20-25A. I would love to see him get 40 points and be a +10 or better.
from the house that Red Jesus built
He got a 4 from me, which may not be fair given how little he saw the ice, but to get a 10 next year would be 35 goals, 35-40 assists.
I think if he gets 15-18 minutes a game a 20-25 goals is completely reasonable expectation.
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A 6...
Fehr did better than I expected, and he does do the little things better than most, but there is room for improvement. He’ll turn 24 during training camp so there is a good chance he will get better. With Kozzie heading overseas, Fehr is a natural to replace him in the line up. In fact, Kozlov’s 13 goals in 67 games compares pretty nicely with Fehr’s 12 in 61 games (both a little under 0.2 per game..)
Fehr needs to step up his play a little bit. He goes to the net, but he needs to be more effective when he gets there. I have a hunch he might have a “Brooks Laich” break out in 2009-10. He has the skills and size to be a presence in the offensive zone. Defensively, he needs some work on positioning, and perhaps he needs to get a bit more angry out there.
Still and all, he is an asset to the team and with Kozlov leaving and Fedorov also possibly leaving, his ice time will definitely go up… it has to, as someone has to play the minutes.
Let's go Caps!
Wow
3 people gave him a 1? What the hell do you want from a guy playing 10min a night? 30g? To each his own I guess.
Maybe some people out there are really, really enamored with Fehr and scoring more often than anyone other than Ovechkin and Semin and putting up points more often than Semin, Backstrom, and Ovechkin, all while playing good defense is the worst season they could imagine. Or something.
I think it’s “big guy who doesn’t play his size” syndrome
by Gould Old Days on May 27, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Or “you guys knocked us out of the playoffs” syndrome. Or “Japers’ Rink says he could be a lot better” syndrome, or “Fehr must suck more than Flash if Flash is still getting the minutes” syndrome.
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Four
For all of his production/60, Fehr still looked overmatched and out of place whenever he played on a top line. He had numerous chances to play on those lines and it never clicked. He had one brief burst playing with Flash and Feds, but that faded away rather quickly. I would have liked to see him garner some power play time, but it wasn’t to be.
I took solace in the fact that he’s very responsible defensively. Just as a comparison to Flash or Kozlov, he rarely lets his point man beat him to a puck along the boards. He may not start a pretty break-out every time, but at least he gets the puck out of the zone with consistency. Those are the kinds of simple plays that coaches love, because it means they can rely on that player in key situations. Hopefully, that will lead to more ice time for Eric.
Fehr needs to spend his summer working on his strength/conditioning, but above all on his skating. He does not have a naturally smooth skating stride, so he’ll have to compensate somehow. His shoulder injury worries me, because he also really needs to add some upper-body strength this summer. He got pushed off the puck too frequently for a man of his size.
This is Eric’s year. The path to the top lines is pretty clear with the departure of Kozlov, the disintegration of Chris Clark and Flash’s playoff implosion. Fehr must seize the opportunity if he’s going to be remembered as someone other than “the guy we drafted before Getzlaf.”
In regards to the FFF line, was it really Fehr’s fault that the line was disbanded? It’s not like the other 2 F’s on that line were doing anything either. In fact, it seemed like when that line was working was when Flash was being the playmaker setting up Fehr. (supporting the fact that Fehr did better when keeping his game simple) However, it seemed like after the initial success, that line seemed to try to have Fehr set up Flash more, and that just didn’t work.
by HateOffSeason on May 27, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
For all of his production/60, Fehr still looked overmatched and out of place whenever he played on a top line. He had numerous chances to play on those lines and it never clicked. He had one brief burst playing with Flash and Feds, but that faded away rather quickly
Fehr scored at a higher rate with Fleischmann, Fedorov, Ovechkin, and Backstrom. Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Fleischmann all scored more often with Fehr than they did without him and Fedorov was only marginally worse (he scored 5% less often). Of course, we’re talking pretty small sample sizes for the most part, but I think Fehr can keep up with those guys and the preliminary results suggest the same.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the small sample sizes. Given the number of minutes you’re discussing over the course of the year, just a couple of occasions where Ovie takes a 1.5X shift and Fehr happens to be on the ice when he scores could tilt that average very, very heavily.
Given that’s the case, I’ll trust my eyes (and Bruce’s) and say that he looked overmatched and out of place. When he got his cup of coffee with the top line, Ovie and Backis were playing at 90 MPH+ and Fehr was going 65. It just didn’t work out like any of us had hoped.
As for why the F-Line was broken up, I can’t recall exactly, but given the personnel involved, I imagine it had something to do with Nylander’s epic failure this year and the consequent need to have Fedorov play with Semin.
Pretty much think the F line was broken up becuase it stopped being effective. That was our 2nd line at the time, with Semin on the top line. Once the F line stopped scoring, we had absolutely no offense except from 8/19/28.
Sometimes I wonder if going 90 mph all the time isn’t part of our problem. When there is a breakaway, 90 mph is awesome. When one guy is going against 3 D, going 90mph and leaving the rest of your team behind doesn’t make much sense. Yet we saw it all game, everygame, with single outside shots going unobstructed towards the goalie. The only reason I can think of that this never gets addressed is that Ovie is so damned awesome that he can actually score that way. Think how dangerous they could be if they actually slowed down a bit at times, entered the zone under control as a group, and maintained pressure. The times it happened, 19 shined as a playmaker, and our offense looked unstoppable. Just didn’t happen enough.
by HateOffSeason on May 27, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
You’d think that year after year having a certain team cough Detroit cough play that style and be immensely successful would inspire everyone to slow it down (or speed it up, in Nylander’s case), especially considering Ovechkin really wants to win.
by red army line on May 27, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
On top of the small sample size, I think there’s some bias in the data. Often when Ovechkin stays out there with the next line, it’s because something is developing. He’s no fool — he’s not getting off the ice if there’s a goal to be scored. So I think that makes the “playing with Ovechkin” rate stats for guys like Bradley and Fehr better than they would be if Bradley or Fehr were intentionally put on a line with Ovechkin.
by Gould Old Days on May 27, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Fohr for Fehr
I agree with D’ohboy in terms of Fehr’s play this year and the fact that his time to make an impact is running out. I like Fehr, and I really want him to become the power forward the Caps desperately need on the RW. He showed spurts this year, but next season is make-or-break for him.
by Killer_Carlson on May 27, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
You don’t get the name “Killer” by waiting for invites.
by Killer_Carlson on May 27, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Gave him a 3
And he only got that high because I’m willing to give him leniency on his past injuries, and it’s those injuries that I believe are the reason for his limited ice time. I don’t think it’s BB linking him or not, I just think he can’t go that long.
As for why I rank him so low… The guy’s supposed to be a goal scorer. Yes, he got 12 goals in limited ice time, but I’ve ranked him so low because of all the goals he left on the ice. There may be only one more cap who missed more yawning nets this season than Fehr. He was healthy for most of last year. Healthy for a good part of this year (or so we thought)…
For what I’d do with him? Initially I was going to say tender him at 7whatever-k. If someone wants to grab him, take the pick(s) and let Giroux step in. Problem is, Giroux is a UFA and in need of a deal. After setting the AHL on fire, he’s not going to be a cheaper option than Eric, and may not even be an option at all.
Shoot, maybe give Fehr a 500k raise so if someone else does want him, we might be able to get a 1st rounder out of him.
As for why I rank him so low… The guy’s supposed to be a goal scorer. Yes, he got 12 goals in limited ice time, but I’ve ranked him so low because of all the goals he left on the ice. There may be only one more cap who missed more yawning nets this season than Fehr. He was healthy for most of last year. Healthy for a good part of this year (or so we thought)…
And if he’d played as much at even strength as a guy like Ovechkin he’d have 25 even strength goals if he scored at the same rate. Despite playing with poor teammates (by Capitals standards) and against talented opposition. The guy was productive.
For what I’d do with him? Initially I was going to say tender him at 7whatever-k. If someone wants to grab him, take the pick(s) and let Giroux step in. Problem is, Giroux is a UFA and in need of a deal. After setting the AHL on fire, he’s not going to be a cheaper option than Eric, and may not even be an option at all.
The problem isn’t that Giroux is a UFA, the problem is that Giroux is a 28 year old (at the start of next season) tweener who can’t keep up at the NHL level and Fehr scored more often than anyone on the team other than Ovechkin and Semin.
By using the “Fehr scored more often…” argument, you would also have to get behind the idea that Fehr, given AO’s minutes (Ev and PP) would score 60+… I can’t get behind that idea. I think Fehr could play the Clark-06 role, and play it better than Clark did, if he could handle the minutes and have enough time to gel with the line. With Kozzie’s departure, the door is open for Fehr. But, if his back is limiting him as I believe it still is, and he really can’t go much more than 10-15 a night, then the door is shut further than we thought on him.
As for Giroux. I don’t understand how one can make the case for Giroux’s ability to keep up with the NHL after a grand total of 22 NHL games over the span of 4 years. If we want to use Fehr’s G/60, why not use Giroux’s P/60 for the 21 games he’s been a cap?
He’s had 190 min of ice time and has logged 6 points (3/3).
Also, just a note, FEHR scored 1.04 goals per 60 min of ice time. The TEAM scored 2.93 per 60 when Fehr was on the ice. If he scored 2.93 per 60 min of ice time, and have had 30ish goals on the year. (600 and change minutes in the season, / 60 * 3)
Since I don't know how to edit posts...
First paragraph above should read, Fehr, given AO’s ice time (EV and PP) would gather @30 goals.
Obviously you can’t assume that if you give a guy more (or less) ice time he’s going to be exactly as productive. Nonetheless, five on five, Fehr scored more often than 345 of the 402 forwards who played at least 30 games in the NHL this season, and that’s pretty darn good production.
As for Giroux, I think it’s possible, even likely, that he’d put up more points than some guys the Caps have on the roster (Bradley, Gordon, Brashear). The problem is that, between what I’ve seen, what I’ve read from other people’s impressions, and what his production has been when he’s played in the NHL, I don’t think it would be enough to mitigate the fact that he wouldn’t contribute that much in the way of physical play or defense. Maybe he’s the odd guy who makes it in the NHL in his late 20’s, but I don’t think anyone thinks he has the talent and to give him that roster spot over a 23 year old who produce at an above average rate offensively and was solid defensively seems a mistake to me.
I agree with this assessment, D. I have to say I am surprised he’s more productive than 80% of qualifying forwards.
In my mind there is a pretty large gulf between expectations for 1st/2nd line RW and 3rd/4th RW. We have plenty of 3rd/4th liners in our system—I’d say most teams do—and so the real question for BB and GMGM is: can Fehr be a consistent second liner? Right now, I’d say no, but I would love to be proven wrong next season.
from the house that Red Jesus built
I gave Fehr a 7. Coming into the season I expected about 6 goals, 15 points as a 3rd or 4th liner. He made a lot out of that time, and I don’t doubt that in the near future he could school Brian Campbell or someone similar while “shutting down” the other teams’ top line. I expect him to eventually get a consistent 3rd line role next year, and possible top 6 in the postseason and after next year.
I gave him a 3. Massively inconsistent. Weak shot. Doesn’t use his huge size. If you’re not gonna play the body, what good are you? I like his defensive stick work. Its way too early to throw him to the wolves, but he has to come back at no more than a million. NOT as the first line RW. He is NOT a first line RW. The Caps need a legit first line guy, or they will have to keep balancing constantly to sustain one key combo when the chips are down (8-19-28).
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
55 | 27 | 17 | 11 | 65 |
|
Washington
|
55 | 28 | 22 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
55 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 54 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.12.2012 at 10:06 PM EST)
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