The Puck Stops Here
Next entry: Top 20 Team And Zone Adjusted Corsi Numbers
Previous entry: Top 20 Defensive Zone Starters
Sami Pahlsson: Forgotten Selke Candidate
by PuckStopsHere on 07/27/10 at 09:48 AM ET
Comments (3)
In 2007 Sami Pahlsson, then of the Anaheim Ducks, looked like he was an NHL star. He finished second to Rod Brind’Amour for the Selke Trophy and some made a strong argument that he should have won. Pahlsson was part of the Stanley Cup winning Ducks squad, where he led the playoffs in +/- despite playing a shutdown role against the toughest opposition to the Ducks. Some even suggested he should win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Many people thought it was just a matter of time before Pahlsson won his Selke, but it hasn’t happened.
Injuries derailed him in his next season. Pahlsson only managed 56 games played and then his contract status led to his moving around the NHL. As a free agent to be, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Logan Stephenson for James Wisniewski and Petri Kontiola in a trade deadline deal and then he signed as a free agent in Columbus.
Columbus is a great spot for a player like Pahlsson to be forgotten. It is not one of the strong media markets in the NHL. They are not a good team. They finished second last in the West Conference. For the most part they can be forgotten. Few NHL fans go out of their way to watch Columbus games.
In Columbus, Sami Pahlsson can continue to play the strong defensive game that got him really close to a Selke Trophy and it is overlooked by most. In the 2010 Selke voting, Pahlsson got two fourth place votes and finished a distant 44th. He did that despite a very strong defensive season.
Sami Pahlsson was the Columbus Blue Jackets top defensive forward. He led the league in defensive zone starts. Despite that tough role, he was a solid contributor to the Blue Jackets and did not have the poor Corsi rating that usually accompanies such a high number of defensive zone starts. Pahlsson led the Blue Jackets in ice time on the penalty kill and was quite successful with that time. In short, he did everything defensively that a top Selke Trophy candidate is expected to do and he made a very poor showing in the voting.
A big part of Pahlsson’s problem is that he is not noticed by many voters. There is little reason to notice the Columbus Blue Jackets. There is little reason to notice Pahlsson’s stat line either. His 16 points placed him 12th on the Blue Jackets.
Pahlsson has never been a big scorer. His career best season in 2006/07, where he placed second in Selke voting, was a 26 point season. It was Anaheim’s on ice success (they were on their way to the Stanley Cup) that got him noticed. People were watching the Anaheim Ducks and when they did, it was hard not to notice how well Pahlsson was playing defensively. In Columbus, much fewer are watching. This keeps Pahlsson from being noticed and keeps him from serious Selke consideration, even though his play deserves it.
Sami Pahlsson is one of the most underrated, overlooked players in the NHL today. I expect that will continue to be the case as long as he remains a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets and not seriously in the playoff race. He is the kind of player that does a lot of things that do not show up well on statistics sheets to win games. He is one of the best defensive players in hockey. Few are noticing.
Filed in: | The Puck Stops Here | Permalink
Tags: Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Sami+Pahlsson.+Anaheim+Ducks,
Comments
When people outside the Columbus market rarely notice that the team exists or make an effort to watch its games, it is a forgotten NHL market to most of the league.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 07/27/10 at 10:57 AM ET
A big part of Pahlsson’s problem is that he is not noticed by many voters. There is little reason to notice the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It was Anaheim’s on ice success (they were on their way to the Stanley Cup) that got him noticed.
Conclusion; play for a contender and you get noticed, play for a loser and you don’t get noticed.
Think of how much better Nash would be if he played for Anaheim.
Posted by Keyser S. from therealworldforum.com on 07/27/10 at 11:33 AM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Missing Other League All Star Games
Top Defenceman So Far This Season
About The Puck Stops Here
The Puck Stops Here was founded during the 2004/05 lockout as a place to rant about hockey. The original site contains over 1000 posts, some of which were also published on FoxSports.com.
Who am I?
A diehard hockey fan.
Why am I blogging?
I want to.
Why are you reading it?
???
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Donate to Kukla’s Korner
How is a city that pulls in Top 10 US TV ratings not a strong media market for the NHL?
http://www.fromtherink.com/2010/4/20/1432444/2009-2010-nhl-attendance
Posted by BZArcher on 07/27/10 at 10:49 AM ET