McKenna’s Musings: Why the ECHL is better than you think
What a debacle in Vegas – but how about those fans?
Evgenii Dadonov did nothing wrong. He’s been a serviceable player for the Golden Knights. Sure, his $5-million dollar contract is probably a little rich given his scoring output. But by all accounts, he’s done everything that’s been asked of him. Worked hard. Been a good teammate. All that jazz.
I could go on a rant about how the NHL needs a system to keep track of no-trade lists. Because it does. And the lists need to remain confidential. There has to be a way to make that happen, although I don’t have the solution.
But what I really want to highlight are the Golden Knights fans. The team has been struggling lately. Vegas is buried with injuries and dealing with a salary-cap nightmare. There hasn’t been a whole lot to cheer about.
Until the starting lineup was announced last night. Dadonov received a huge ovation from the crowd. The fans effectively washed away the drama that began on Monday, when the Golden Knights traded Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks only to see the transaction voided by the NHL after several days of investigation.
What a massive lift for a player whose professional life has been in limbo – and not by his own doing. Dadonov responded by scoring a goal and adding two assists. He was the second star of the game and probably should have been the first. The Golden Knights won 6-1 over the Nashville Predators in a matchup with Stanley Cup Playoff implications.
It’s such a great example of why Vegas works as a hockey market: the local fanbase loves the players. It hasn’t been easy for them lately. Many of their favorites have been traded away. But on Friday night, the fans helped lift the Golden Knights – and especially Dadonov – to a big victory over the Predators.
I have a lot of love for the people of Vegas.
The ECHL is a better league than you think, and Hayden Hodgson is proof.
I started my career in the ECHL, playing two seasons for the Las Vegas Wranglers. And I’m very thankful that I did, because there was no way I was ready for the AHL after finishing my NCAA career at St. Lawrence University.
Enter Hayden Hodgson, who made his NHL debut Friday night with the Philadelphia Flyers after spending parts of fours seasons in the ECHL. He not only took the ice but made an impact. Hodgson had an assist on Travis Konecny’s goal at 6:37 of the first period. Then Hodgson followed it up by potting one of his own midway through the third period. Hodgson is a big body and his presence was felt – the Flyers forward had four hits.
What’s interesting to me about Hodgson is that he started his pro career in the AHL back in 2017 with the Cleveland Monsters. He had six points in 41 games and also spent time in the ECHL. I can’t help but wonder: would he have been better served spending the entire season at the AA level, rather than the AHL? Would it have helped his development?
It took Hodgson three years to get another crack at the AHL. He made the Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster this season and hasn’t looked back. In 44 games, Hodgson scored 18 goals and racked up 70 penalty minutes.
The Flyers rewarded him with an NHL contract just before the trade deadline. He earned it. And Hodgson is proof that if a player goes to the ECHL and uses his time wisely, it can be a springboard to bigger and better things.
There have been countless goaltenders, myself included, who spent time in the ECHL before making it to the NHL. It’s less common among forwards and defensemen. But every now and then a player like Alex Burrows, Tanner Jeannot or Hayden Hodgson comes along and reminds everyone: the ECHL isn’t a joke. There are good players in that league, and NHL teams would be wise to pay attention.
Will the real St. Louis Blues please stand up?
Talk about a frustrating team. There are nights when the Blues are utterly dominant. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas skate around like the Globetrotters and everything turns to gold. But then there are games like Thursday’s against the Philadelphia Flyers, where the Blues look disjointed and rudderless.
The Blues have a roster that should be a Stanley Cup contender. They have three strong lines of forwards and a defensive corps that was recently bolstered by adding Nick Leddy at the trade deadline. Ville Husso has been outstanding in net, but he has yet to fully stake his claim on the crease with Jordan Binnington still in the mix.
Consistency is the key word in St. Louis. On Thursday night, the Blues had an extended period of offensive zone time against the Flyers in the third period – probably three minutes worth – before an untimely turnover resulted in a goal against.
It’s a microcosm of the season so far in St. Louis. And a reason why I don’t think the Blues are truly ready to contend for another Stanley Cup. They shoot themselves in the foot too often.
The Blues walk a fine line between skill and grit. They have to play hard to win. But they also have to give their talent creative license to make plays. The key for me is puck support. If the Blues are making 10-15 foot passes and moving down the ice in unison, they’re on. If they’re tossing 20-25 foot cross-ice passes, they’re off.
The remedy is skating. The Blues have to do a better job of working to position – with speed. I give a ton of credit to Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly. He works incredibly hard. But his teammates need to do a better job of following his lead.
The Blues have the talent. But they have yet to show they’re a cohesive enough unit to be successful deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs.