2009-10 Rink Wrap: Eric Fehr

No place to vote today?

Well, if there were a poll, I think I’d give a 7, maybe an 8. Oddly enough that is pretty much entirely for his even strength production. But also because of his health for the season. I think Fehr has showed he has the offensive ability to play a top 6 role. Depending on what the team does with Semin, Fehr will either be 2nd or 3rd line RW. Which I think means he’ll be the third line RW this coming season. I’d like to see him get more PP time next year, but I doubt that will happen.

I also wonder who he was on the ice for the PP with, with 2 obvious exceptions. That may be part of the reason for his lack of PP production. But if he was out there with Backstrom, Semin, etc, then there’s no excuse. I should probably ask Green, he was out there the whole time.

It would be a sin if anyone other than DMG wrapped Eric Fehr.

He exceeded my expectations, but his play last season indicated to me that he was on the verge of breaking out, so I wasn’t completely blown away.

For a 10, he’d have to get 30+ goals, 60+ points, and play some more time on special teams. Of course, that last part is partially out of his control.

I guess it would be a 7 as well. We’ve been expecting Fehr to put up these types of numbers for a while. A 10 for next season would involve getting some 2nd line duty (tough to outright seize that spot considering he would need to dislodge Semin) and a fixture on the 2nd PP unit (assuming the Caps have one).

It’d be somewhere between a 7 and a an 8. He was tremendous throughout the series against Montreal, even though it seemed like he was criminally underused and can never really get out of BB’s doghouse. Ultimatel, it’s probably a seven, since Fehr always seemed to have it in him (and maybe even more).

Leaning towards eight, if only because he started the offseason with both arms in slings, and also because his sense of timing with his goals was wicked good. His goals were very often game-changers, and on a team like the Caps, that was hard to pull off.

Considering he basically couldn’t do any offseason work last year because of the shoulder surgeries, I wasn’t expecting him to crack 20, nor miss less than 10 games this year. I’d hope with a healthy summer he comes back with something bigger to prove, meaning Top 6 line time and breaking 30 goals.

Refresh and vote away, kids.

I’m wavering between 7 and 8. I mean, I suspected he had this in him — the skill and adaptability seemed to be there — but I didn’t expect he could be quite so clutch with quite so little ice time.

I was expecting another typical Eric Fehr season:

• 10-15 goals
• 25-30 points
• 15 games missed due to injury
• limited special teams time
• solid and unspectacular defensive play

Instead, he exceeded the goals projection, points projection, injury projection by nice margins (and impressive percentages. He was probably 30-40% better than the solid player I thought he was. It was a great season. He was also strong in the playoffs, and against Montreal last year, he was one of the top players against them, mostly because he would draw the third pair on defense, and Bergeron isn’t someone who can handle a big guy like Fehr.

Is he a top 6 forward? I don’t know… probably not on the Caps. On some teams he would be. He is definitely a top 9 forward in the NHL though, and that’s not a bad thing to be.

To get to 10 next year, keep moving forward and progressing. 25-30 goals, 50+ points, stay healthy, and do more on the PP. He doesn’t have to be a PK forward (the Caps are already have a bunch of those, so no need.) Just keep moving forward, and Fehr will be fine.

I was very impressed with his work on both ends of the ice. The only problem I see for Fehr is breaking into the second line. As currently constructed the caps have to be:
1L – Ovie, Lars, Knuble
2L – Brooks, Belanger/B.Mo/replacement, Semin

Fehr’s no 2C so who’s spot would he take? Brooks? Knuble? Absent injury issues I just don’t see him moving up right now. Which is a shame because he deserves second line minutes.

Was tempted to go 8, because he’s one of my favorite players, but really he didn’t exceed my expectations all that much (if at all). The raw numbers (21-18-39) are in line with what I expected; The fact that he put up those numbers coming off of major injuries and in only 69 games with limited ice time is impressive though. A bit disappointed that he couldn’t ever find his way into the PP rotation.

The Discussion: Has Fehr established himself as a legitimate top-six forward in the NHL? Could Fehr be just (or nearly) as effective with bigger minutes against better competition, or is he just benefiting from riding the coattails of his elite teammates? Where do you think Fehr fits in with the Caps next season – and where do you think he will fit in? Finally, what would your offseason plans for Fehr be?

I think Fehr is a borderline top 6 talent on this team, but a solid top 6 overall. I think his per-60 productivity would drop with top 6 minutes, but he would still be a solid point producer. I could see him putting up 30-30-60 type numbers next season if given time on the top lines, even if he was still mostly a non-factor on the PP. Of course, he would need to play a (mostly) full season to put those kinds of numbers up, something he has never done. Ideally, I would like to see Fehr on the 2nd line RW with semin moving to LW, but I expect he will continue to be a 3rd line guy with some PP time and occasional promotions to the top 2 lines due to injuries. Fehr needs to be re-signed for multiple years this offseason; he fills a role (scoring RW) that is not particularly deep when looking to the future (semin and Knuble both UFAs after next season). He also needs to keep working on building up his strength and skating…something he all to often has not been able to focus on during the offseasons due to injuries. He needs to show that he can hold up over the long haul and play an entire season without injury (his 69 games this season were a career high).

Eight. He did much better than I expected him to and what he was able to accomplish while having so little ice time is even more impressive.

I think next seasons success is dependent on the coaching staff as much as on Fehr. He’s done a lot to show he deserves more ice time but really hasn’t been able to secure it. Maybe his PP production is the final hurdle the coaching staff is expecting him to jump before he can secure more time? Who knows…

Went far above expectations performing in limited time, producing career numbers, and a number of clutch scoring moments. You’d think that warrants more ice time but the only thing i can reason is that BB doesn’t think Fehr is athletic enough for more. Fehr was one of my biggest surprises this year as I didn’t have much to think of on the 3rd line.

Fehr’s a tricky one for me in that I am not surprised that he produced, even given the limited opportunities to do so. So do I grade him lower? It’s the flip-side of Flash, from whom I actually expected very little but got something (during the regular season and early on). Essentially, a guy like Fehr should have his doubters voting the big numbers and his believers voting lower numbers. Perverse.

7. probably would have been a 6 had he not had double shoulder surgery in the off season and probably couldnt wipe his own…shoes all summer. a lot has been expected of e fehr since he was drafted. most of that was due to when he was drafted, and to a large extent, who was drafted after him. scoring 50 goals back to back in juniors is no easy feat. however, like salary, his draft position is not something to hold against him…but it does come with high expectations.

fehr had a pretty good season for someone who desires to be a top 6 forward in the league. particularly impressive is his production based upon ice time. one thing that stands out is that fehr is the same size as ov (maybe a little lighter) but doesnt play nearly as physical as ov does….not too many players do. but fehr doesnt seem to use his size to any advantage. he doesnt bang on the forecheck and doesnt do well infront of the net. on a team that needs some more bangers, fehr would seem to fit the bill.

i think fehr can be a top 6 forward in the nhl…maybe not on the caps though. given good health, i’d like to see fehr get some opportunities on the second line, but what to do with sasha? seems like his lack of pk abilties is going to keep him from getting top 6 minutes. i would like to see him more involved in the PP, particularly if he can use his size to muck it up infront of the net. offseason recommendation? huntin’, fishin’, tweetin’ and doing radio shows. oh, and keep on getting stronger to stay injury free.

I’m surprised Fehr stayed healthy enough to produce all year and I think he has it in him to be a top 6 forward, but as a third line winger he’s a lot for other teams to handle and despite average skating, he draws penalties. I think the CAPS are a better team overall if he is anchoring a third line that is getting it’s share of ice.

I think its interesting that Fehr got so little PP time and yet was on the ice and scored both of our extra skater / goalie pulled goals this year. Why did BB feel good about putting him out in those situations, but not in more regular game situations or the PP? He scored some big goals this year.

Lets hope BB gives him meaningful PP minutes next year. If he does, I can see him getting close to 30 goals.

What 5-on-5 dominance? DOMINANCE?

Started him at 6 because I like him. Plus one for being healthier than I had expected, and plus one for the raw numbers of points he produced, which were a notch higher than I anticipated.

I’d expect him to get more second line time next year due to line juggling and injuries to Semin and/or Knuble, so we’ll see how he does against better competition.

Wow, the first poll where I’m actually at the mode for somebody.

He and Flash have got to be the top-scoring third liners in the league. But 40% of Flash’s points are coming on the PP, and Fehr’s GAON/60 is a full goal lower than Flash at 5-on-5 (1.92 vs 2.92). I don’t know how there’s any question which one the Caps should be trying to keep.

He gets the 8 for meeting our high stat-geek “expectations” again (5th in GF/60) despite coming off double shoulder surgery. He gets a 10 next year if he’s still there with 16 minutes a game – either because Bruce has evened out the PP time or because Fehr is filling in admirably when Knuble or Semin go down with a significant injury (not that I’m rooting for that).

Also, for DMG, that’s Scottie Upshall who was 4th in GF/60, not Scott Hartnell. Just so we can wash away any hint of Flyers taint in the numbers.
http://www.behindthenet.ca/2009/new_5_on_5.php?sort=20&section=goals&mingp=40&mintoi=&team=ALL&pos=

I rated Fehr a 9. His surgeries in the offseason and his performance the past couple years gave me average expectations going into the season. I certainly did not foresee the breakout year he had. The offensive numbers he put up this season were unexpected, and in hindsight, it is most impressive given the ice time he received. Breaking the 20 goal mark by itself is enough to exceed my expectations for him, so that put me at a 7. What bumped me up to an 8 was continued improvement in his ability to grind and, most importantly, without re-injuring himself. Along with Chimera, I would rate him one of the best forecheckers on the team. He consistently puts in the effort to get turnovers, create chances, and draw penalties. What bumped me up to a 9 was his playoff performance. He was the only player to solve Halak in game six and he was the first to score on him in game two. Those had the potential to be some pretty important goals. But alas…

To get a 10 next season, Fehr would have to best this year’s goal total and improve his power play numbers. I would also like to see his earn top six minutes, which, I guess, is different than receiving top six minutes. I expect him to accept a qualifying offer with the Caps this summer (I hope so, at least). Assuming my CBA knowledge is up to date, a qualifying offer would have to be at least $ 810,337. That is a fair price for the services he brings to the team and a steal if he can reproduce this season. This season definitely helps his case in the event of arbitration. J.P. would have to come up with another zinger in the mock arbitration since he could not knock Fehr as being one-dimensional like Jurcina.

As an aside, I did a quick search of the archives for "Fehr love." Some articles I managed to dig up:

Corey, Vogs, Post, Dobber Hockey, FanHouse

Also, back in October, I commented on how I had been spending time on BtN, to which DMG replied:

Keep spending time on that site and you’ll wind up loving Fehr. He does incredibly well is almost any metric.

Fitting that he linked to BtN 11 times in this wrap :)

8.

I’m not at all concerned with Fehr’s powerplay stats. Normally BB throws him in for a few last seconds of the PP, after Alexes, Knuble, Backy etc are already tired, so that Fehr and Co. just do not have much time to set it up.

8 – and the reason is simple. Prior to this year, I just hadn’t really noticed him as a player. Maybe due to injuries or limited ice time or whatever. I mean, I knew he was out there, but his on-ice actions didn’t really get my attention too often.

That all changed this year. He still doesn’t get much ice time, but he just seized every minute he was given and was clutch.

The guy looked to me like he’d never be able to consistently perform because of a slew of injuries.

For a 10 next year, he’d have to be Mike Knuble’s replacement.

For a 5, he’d have to just maintain as the damn good energy/grind/checkingline winger.

For a 1, he’d have to spend the entire year injured.

Continues to improve. Pay the man, George…

I was leaning between a 7 or an 8 but I went 7. He’s another player that’s hard to separate the management from his grading; with more ice time I think he easily would have been an 8 and could have been a 9. Living in BB’s doghouse certainly hurt him, but like Alzner I don’t know how you can just give him points for that.

I think on any team that isn’t competing for a Presidents’ Trophy or leading goal-scoring team in the league Fehr is easily a “top 6” NHL forward. On the Caps he might not be “officially” a “top 6” but he’s certainly “top 9” and our third line is essentially another scoring line (especially on the wings) so I think it’s fair to say he’s made it. He would have been a top line wing on PIT, and even most other playoff teams you could find a spot for him in the “top 6.” There are maybe 3-4 teams in the league that are deep enough to push him to the third line, and we’re one of them.

I don’t know if Fehr’s rate-production would be the same if he got more ice, but I think he would continue to produce. I certainly don’t think his production would decrease at all. I also think he’s a great support player on a line because he can drive the net, win pucks in the corner, and really had a big breakout on the forecheck this season (probably what impressed me the most). Next year I think he should presumptively have a sweater every game and get PP2 ice (though behind Laich and Knuble it may be tough). Where will he fit in? BB’s doghouse. He’ll play second Fiddle to Flash again. Unfortunately, I could also see him get traded for a draft pick or something at the draft. Hopefully GMGM was watching the playoffs and doesn’t move Fehr, but I just don’t get the impression that he’s valued very highly by this organization.

For the off-season he just needs to work out like he’s trying to get on Jersey Shore, but maybe not so much on the glam muscles. Finally, he has a healthy back and two healthy shoulders, he needs to be working out his legs, core, and upper body all off-season and finally come to camp ready to take full advantage of that beast frame of his. I can’t say I’m not extremely excited to see what a healthy off-season does for him at this age. It would be a travesty to move him before seeing what a healthy Fehr can become; they’ve already invested several years in him becoming healthy, what’s one more?

He had a stellar year considering the amount of ice time he gets. On any other team, he’d be getting top 6 minutes at worst.

The best part is I KNOW he was more than capable of having this kind of a season, I just didn’t expect it to be this good.

Yet another benefit of the Knuble signing.

……and he goes to Pittsburgh.

Maybe the Pens make him an offer that is higher than he deserves. If Washington doesn’t match, then the Pens may be getting a steal for a winger. If Washington does match, then it puts a crimp on their salary cap.

I was impressed with him this year and into the playoffs. I liked the effort he gave in his limited ice time.

What draft picks would the Pens have to give up for this?

(I just thought of this about 1 second ago, so there are probably a lot of factors that will ruin my idea that I hadn’t thought of.)

I’d love to see Flash moved at the draft, Semin switch back to LW and Fehr given legit second line ice time.

Split between I expected this and I don’t think he going to get the chance.

He honestly had the best season possible with the minutes he got but he can do more in the future. If plays 20 minutes a game I think he can crack 35-40 goals.

Arguably the best forward we had rolling in the second season, Fehr does all the little things that are necessary to win and frankly, if we had more ‘slow,’ ‘dirty goal’ types, we’d be better off in the long term. I can’t think of a better mentor for him than Grandpa Slippers.

Sign this man to a digestible 3 year deal (2-2.5M) and let’s hope for a 10 next year: 75+ games and 25+ goals from within 2 feet of the net.

I was in between 7 and 8 but I pushed it to an 8 for the simple fact that I wasn’t expecting him to be so healthy this year. I never really looked at it as if he could be healthy almost, and in not doing so I pretty much wasn’t expecting this much production from him…especially in such limited ice time. Great breakout season and truth be told, I don’t mind the question of whether he’s “top 6” but playing on our 3rd scoring line. That’s part of our depth. I think he could produce more on the 2nd line, although obviously the efficiency would suffer some with more minutes. If we only had real, solid 2C and 3C we could roll out 3 scary lines with ease.

I’d expect Fehr to play on the 3rd line again next year, but I’d like to see it settle in and build some chemistry. I’d love to see him with Chimera again and could see Belanger or MP centering them. Fehr is never going to be a speedster but he wouldn’t have to be with Chimera…he just needs to improve defensively, and get even better at puck possession on the boards and finding his way to the front of the net. Solid “piece” to the puzzle that produces good offense for us.

I always liked Fehr and had faith he’d be a late bloomer once he got over his injuries. But coming off double shoulder surgery I definitely didn’t expect this many goals, points or games played. It’s an extra plus that he did it while in the doghouse and showed up for the playoffs. He was also awesome on the forecheck all year, pinning teams in their zone and creating turnovers and chances. Chimera, Bradley, Steckel et al couldn’t finish, but I think Fehr would fit in real well if his forechecking was creating chances for Semin, AO and Baxter.

Next year I would like to see him fighting with Laich for the other 2W spot, but he probably won’t because BB likes to rock the ginger. Long term I see him as a replacement for Knuble, and I am actually cautiously optimistic that the organization does too. I think just about the only thing I liked about BB’s moves in the playoffs was how he routinely had Fehr come on for an early change at the end of a shift by the top line. Knuble would be out of gas and AO and Baxter would keep going and Fehr would come out with fresh legs. It was encouraging.

So many reasons kept him from truly exceeding expectations. Flash, Boudreau, Semin, Knuble, the 1st PP Team and completely fumbling SO opportunities.

Unfortunately, he may not crack the top 6 unless Flash is gone and Semin or Fehr decide they want to play LW.

If Fehr gets 15ATOI and little more PP time, 30G 30A are what I would expect next season in 75+ games. To get a 10, 35G 35A and 17ATOI.