On February 16, 2005, before he announced the cancellation the 2004-05 NHL season, Gary Bettman may as well have whistled, “Always look on the bright side of life.”
For the lost season was a time of discovery for players like Jason Spezza, Mike Cammalleri, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Miller, and Eric Staal.
Boys, who had gotten their feet wet in the NHL during the previous year, gained another year of apprenticeship in the AHL, and were men when the league returned in October 2005. “Taking it slow,” as often it does, only served to benefit youth.
|
2003-04 NHL Goals, Assists, Points |
2004-05 AHL Goals, Assists, Points |
2005-06 NHL Goals, Assists, Points |
|
| Patrice Bergeron |
16, 23, 39 |
21, 40, 61 |
31, 42, 73 |
| Mike Cammalleri |
9, 6, 15 |
46, 63, 109 |
26, 29, 55 |
| Chris Kunitz |
0, 6, 6 |
22, 17, 39 |
19, 22, 41 |
| Joffrey Lupul |
13, 21, 34 |
30, 26, 56 |
28, 25, 53 |
| Derek Roy |
9, 10, 19 |
16. 45, 61 |
18, 28, 46 |
| Jason Spezza |
22, 33, 55 |
32, 85, 117 |
19, 71, 90 |
| Eric Staal |
11, 20, 31 |
26, 51, 77 |
45, 55, 100 |
| Jarret Stoll |
10, 11, 21 |
21, 17, 38 |
22, 46, 68 |
Even Minnesota Wild youngsters, while not as richly as others, profited from the more pressure-free environment of the AHL’s Houston Aeros.
|
2003-04 NHL Goals, Assists, Points |
2004-05 AHL Goals, Assists, Points |
2005-06 NHL Goals, Assists, Points |
|
| Pierre-Marc Bouchard |
4, 18, 22 |
12, 42, 54 |
17, 42, 59 |
|
2003-04 NHL Games Played |
2004-05 AHL Games Played |
2005-06 NHL Games Played |
|
| Brent Burns |
36 |
73 |
72 |
| Zbynek Michalek |
22 |
76 |
82 |
| Stephane Veilleux |
19 |
59 |
71 |
So on the dawn of another lockout, which current Wild prospect with NHL experience would grow the most from “the bright side” of additional AHL action?
My finger is on Minnesota’s top goaltending prospect, Matt Hackett.
Hackett, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the big club last year, owns well-taught positioning and is a big target at 6’2.” However, his rebound control is still wanting, and he hasn’t even played over 50 games in either of his two AHL seasons, sharing time with eight different goalies.
Ryan Miller would be an excellent model for Hackett to follow. Miller averaged over 60 games in each of his last two AHL seasons before ascending to the Buffalo Sabres’ top spot in 2005.
|
2003-04 NHL W-L-T, GAA, Save % |
2004-05 AHL W-L-T, GAA, Save % |
2005-06 NHL W-L-T, GAA, Save % |
|
| Ryan Miller |
0-3-0, 5.08, 79.5% |
41-17-4, 2.45, 92.2% |
30-14-3, 2.60, 91.4% |
Hackett, who played 24 playoff games while leading the Aeros to the Calder Cup Finals in 2011, needs to experience the physical and mental toll of being a “workhorse” goalie in the minors before fighting for that responsibility in the majors. The lockout can prevent Hackett from being overexposed too early to the NHL.
Wild GM Chuck Fletcher has also realized the importance of bringing Hackett along slowly. With incumbent starter Niklas Backstrom already under contract, Fletcher re-signed last year’s back-up, Josh Harding, to a three-year deal in June. Meaning that Matt Hackett will, and should continue to headline the off-Xcel Energy production of the Minnesota Wild, locked out or not.