No. 4: Tyler Kennedy
A player often overlooked because of his affordability, Tyler Kennedy is a great low-budget filler on any NHL teams’ bottom six. After earning $2 million+ per season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks, Kennedy is now a free agent after earning just $600,000 with the Devils this past season.
Position: Forward
Height / Weight: 5-foot-11, 185 lbs
Age: 29
2015-16 Stats: 50 GP — 3 Goals — 13 Assists — 16 Points
2015-16 Salary: $0.6 million
Expected UFA Salary: less than $1 million
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Tyler Kennedy used to be a consistent 30-point producer back in the days and he used to be a point-per-game player in his junior Ontario Hockey League days. Now he plays an energy role in the bottom-six, with a knack for winning battles in the corners and the dirty areas.
Players like Kennedy are the ones that come through in the playoffs to provide surprise scoring and fabulous forechecking when skill is equally matched by both teams. Jim Benning would love to have a heart-and-soul guy like Kennedy for the young guys to look up to.
With his scoring pedigree, Kennedy always has the potential to be a steal in the secondary free agent market. The most recent performance in New Jersey suggests that he could be on the rise once again.
How often do you see a bottom-six player with a relative Corsi-For of +5.3 percent? A relative Fenwick-For of +4.4 percent? He can play all three position players, too.
Suggested Line
T. Kennedy – B. Sutter- J. Hansen
D. Dorsett – T. Kennedy – E. Etem
I’d say — go for it Jim Benning. Don’t be afraid of clogging up the bottom six, just sign him because Kennedy is a heck of a bottom-six player. He is versatile, he is hard-working, and he has the potential to be a break-out scorer when playing in a such high-skilled bottom six the Canucks have amassed.
Next: No. 3: KRIS VERSTEEG