So that was an interesting little signing in a summer with no real arbitration hearings of note. Will Shea Weber or Zach Parise go that route? Even that appears unlikely at this stage (it would seem). Arbitration cases only seem to occur about 12-18% of the time in the NHL anyway and this year that rate is 1 for the summer. Jannik Hansen signed a three year, $4.05 million dollar deal today with the Vancouver Canucks.
Hansen is a curious case indeed for he really does not have a ton of fantasy clout but he does have some more upside. The problem is can he crack either power play unit? Maybe not this year but next year is a possibility. That is the dilemma for fantasy owners. When a guy has no career points on the man advantage and did have almost 30 points last year, what is the next step? Does the next step occur and when?
The upside is there and Hansen is very physical as his hit count approached 150 last year. He also played the entire year last season and may be one of those Year Five guys that truly breakout in the fifth year. Not surprisingly that time is now as it is Hansen’s fifth year in the league (fourth full year). This is kind of how it goes.
Year 1: Get a few games in late or early.
Year 2: Start to get a feel of the lay of the land.
Year 3: May be a bit rocky but perseveres.
Year 4: Starts to find a rhythm and produces a bit.
Year 5: Begins to put it all together and the results show.
Unfortunately it does not always work out that way but Vancouver has a talent on their hands. They have to find a way to get Hansen on the second power play unit this year because he can play on it. It was shown in the playoffs that he can handle an increased role so why not up it a little more. The ice time should go up but first let us see what the numbers look like.
Jannik Hansen’s career numbers:
| Yr | Tm | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | SH | GW | S | TOI | ATI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-08 | VAN | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 58 | 11:34 |
| 08-09 | VAN | 55 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 5 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 688 | 12:31 |
| 09-10 | VAN | 47 | 9 | 6 | 15 | -5 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 67 | 580 | 12:20 |
| 10-11 | VAN | 82 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 13 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 113 | 1206 | 14:43 |
| Car | 189 | 24 | 41 | 65 | 13 | 89 | 1 | 6 | 247 | 2532 | 13:24 |
We did not even put up power play points because it was a waste. Hansen saw a jump of 2:23 last year in his icetime which is about three more shifts a game. Expect another 2-3 minute junp this year. Even a bit of power play time should be in the cards honestly. What else could we expect?
Honestly there will be more goals scored but how many more? His shots per game is under 1.5 still and that has to change some as Hansen has the wheels and the shot to create more havoc. The key becomes who will have time sacrificed to make room. There are no real answers but one name could be Mason Raymond who sees a bit less ice time. The minutes have to be spread a bit better to include this guy in a little more.
The learning curve will go up for Jannik Hansen and yes there will be a higher upside set for him in the 2011-12 season. This is shorter than our usual impacto but we do see a potential 40 point season for Hansen maybe closer to 45 if some things break right. Would a 17-26-43 season do with 5 PPG’s? I think for most fantasy owners, considering where Hansen slots in, that would be just fine.
What say you hockey public? Really the numbers do not lie here as Hansen is set for a bump. While we do not think it will be a double the points type of uptick, it will be significant nonetheless. He also hits people as well and yes that is a stat in some leagues so keep an eye out. Even a guy like Alex Burrows could be hindered somewhat by the rise of Hansen. Consider yourselves warned fantasy hockey fans, Jannik Hansen’s deal is a steal for Vancouver and a potential bounty for all who draft him.
