Thank you for participating in our first mailbag of the regular season. I intend to have more mailbags as part of our coverage this season. Because questions in the comment sections can get lost in the shuffle, the mailbag formula aids in keeping things organized.
Let’s get started because there were a lot of good questions submitted. This is the first installment of the mailbag; another will follow shortly. Some questions I can answer right away, while others I refer to the appropriate parties for clarification before responding. We’ll talk about three positive surprises, three players we want to see more of, Mason Marchment’s play, Miro Heiskanen’s workload, and more in this iteration.
Who have been the season’s top three surprises, whether in terms of productivity, role, or overall fit with the team? What are three players who could (or should) improve as the season progresses? — Mr. David B.
There are a few candidates for the top pleasant surprises this season, but Matt Duchene is my pick. He’s bounced around the league and shown what he’s capable of in a variety of roles, but I expected him to take a little longer to feel at ease in Dallas. His production can still improve, but a five-game point streak in his last five full games played indicates that he’s on the right track. Perhaps more importantly, Duchene looked at ease and played well even in those first four games in which he didn’t have a point. I’m interested to see how much he still has in the tank and what his ceiling in Dallas might be.
Keeping with the newcomer theme, Craig Smith has also had a strong start to the season. Coming into the regular season, it appeared that Smith, Sam Steel, and Ty Dellandrea would compete for the final two spots in the lineup. When I asked Pete DeBoer about those three players in training camp, the head coach didn’t disagree. But Smith quickly separated himself from the pack and established himself as a lineup regular, at least for the time being. He plays a smart game that allows him to blend in with various linemates. Smith has performed admirably in his role.
Finally, Ryan Suter is off to a fantastic start to the season. I understand that most defensemen paired with Miro Heiskanen will appear better than they are, but Suter’s game has been trending in the wrong direction over the last two years, with the exception of a jump early in the playoffs. Suter’s five-on-five game has improved since he was removed from the second power-play unit. In fact, I’d like to see Suter’s penalty-kill time reduced as well. It doesn’t hurt to look into cutting down on minutes if it can help him stay healthy for five-on-five. Jani Hakanpää and Esa Lindell are by far the leading pair of short-handed defensemen (40-plus minutes each), and Heiskanen is the next blueliner, accounting for roughly half of the top pair.
Suter arrives around 20 minutes after Heiskanen. I understand that tampering with the one area of this team that has been consistently good the most is a risky proposition, but if Thomas Harley can take on a larger penalty-killing role, I believe that could be another positive step in trying to keep Suter’s solid start going.
Honorable mentions for positive surprises include Wyatt Johnston avoiding a sophomore slump, Jamie Benn’s renaissance, and Nils Lundkvist’s overall improved game.
