With the crowning of a new Stanley Cup champion on the horizon, let's look back at the regular season and recognize players who have roots or connections to the region for our 2017-18 “Jaffe’s Take” All-New England Team.
Connor Hellebuyck | G, Winnipeg Jets | UMass Lowell
Selecting our All-Star goalie was pretty easy this year. Hellebuyck's season was nothing short of spectacular. After earning 39 wins in his first two seasons, this year he tied for first in the NHL with 44 wins. He had six shutouts, good for second place. This was a guy who really worked on his game in the offseason, focusing on body control and core strength. And it paid immediate dividends. He helped take the Jets from a really good team to a great team by providing a bedrock in net. He's big, he's strong, he's focused and nothing seems to bother him. He's the perfect goalie for the high-flying Jets.
John Carlson | D, Washington Capitals | Marlboro, Mass.
The Marlboro, Mass., native picked the perfect year to have a huge season. He set a career high with 15 goals, 53 assists and 68 points. At the end of this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent and will look to cash in big time. He played 24½ minutes per game, helped bring along some young defensemen and helped get the Caps into the Cup Final. He's big, he's strong, he can skate very well and has an excellent shot. This is the type of D-man many teams will look to add for that offensive element to their game if they already have a solid defensive defenseman in their mix.
Keith Yandle | D, Florida Panthers | Milton, Mass.
The Milton, Mass., native had another stellar season for the Florida Panthers. The blueliner almost matched his career high of 59 points that he set back in the 2010-11 season while playing for Phoenix. This year he had eight goals and 56 points but did set a career high in average ice time at 24 minutes, 29 seconds. This is a D-man who skates beautifully, gets to many pucks and helps anchor the Panthers' power play. He's also an ironman, having played all 82 games for the ninth consecutive season. While the Panthers made a late run toward the playoffs, they didn't get in. Yandle will be a key element for them next season if they are to get back into the mix. Oftentimes, he might get overlooked due to his offensive nature, but he is a mainstay for this team and ended up a plus-7, showing his defensive ability.
Johnny Gaudreau | F, Calgary Flames | Boston College
The little wizard out of Boston College continued to shine for the Calgary Flames. He set a career high with 84 points, scoring 24 goals with 60 assists. His mark of 84 points was good for 16th overall. Twenty-one of his goals came at even strength, showing how determined and hard he can be on the puck. He played over 19 minutes a game and did everything in his power to try to get his team into the playoffs. Oftentimes, he attracted double teams as the opponent tried to shut him down. This is a player who continues to impress despite his small stature and will only get better as he continues in the league.
Jack Eichel | F, Buffalo Sabres (N. Chelmsford, Mass.)
Despite another brutally challenging year in Buffalo, Eichel continued to improve as a player. The North Chelmsford, Mass., native recorded a career high 64 points on 25 goals and 39 assists. He didn't rely on the power play, either, as only three of his goals came with the man up. Simply put, the Sabres were brutal this year, and if they want to see the max potential of Eichel, they need to surround him with many better players. I was impressed later in the year with his maturity and his willingness to try and lead the team despite hard times. If he continues to mature and gets help in Buffalo soon, I think we will really see Eichel blossom.
Clayton Keller | F, Arizona Coyotes | Boston University
Just like the diminutive Gaudreau, Clayton Keller played with pizzazz and flair his first season in the NHL. He played all 82 games and recorded 23 goals and 42 assists for 65 points, good for second overall for all rookies this season. He started out hot, had a typical rookie slowdown and then got going again near the end of the year. Just like Gaudreau as well, he showed great vision, excellent puckhandling skills and a willingness to play in the middle of the ice. This all happened after playing only one year of college hockey at Boston University. As the Coyotes try to get back to the upper echelon of the NHL, Keller will be a cog for them. He could be a main guy for years to come.
Honorable Mention
Three honorable mentions to my All-New England Team are special rookies. Charlie McAvoy played a huge role for the Boston Bruins as a top-pair defenseman with Zdeno Chara. Despite some challenges this year with injuries and a heart ailment, McAvoy showed that he is going to be a No. 1 D-man for years to come.
Alexander Kerfoot of the Colorado Avalanche really impressed, recording 43 points. I'm not sure anyone expected that from the former Harvard Crimson star. But he showed confidence, determination and a willingness to play in front of the net.
Alex Tuch of the Vegas Golden Knights stepped up his game and started to really show himself well as the team rolled into the Stanley Cup Final. The power forward who has a powerful skating stride fit in beautifully with the first-year expansion team and showed that he can be hard to take off the puck.
