Teddy Purcell has entered the tournament so to speak. With a breakout 2010-11 season that saw him not only score 51 points during the regular season but become a secondary scoring option in the playoffs, there was a feeling that Purcell would get paid and he did today with a 2 year deal that is about 2.36 million dollars per season.
The biggest thing for Purcell owners is that he performed well in the playoffs, tallying six goals and eleven assists in 18 games. That is nearly a point a game in an intense and hostile environment. Fantasy playoff GM’s could not contain themselves with his production as they openly thought what could be for next season. With the season still two and a half months away, we can almost ascertain what may or may not occur.
Instead of looking at the points, we take a look at some “adjustments” for Teddy Purcell.
Point Per Game Style (Hat Tip Hockey Reference.com)
| Per Gm | Adj | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yr | Tm | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | S | G | A | P | ||||||||||||
| 09-10 | TOT | 60 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.17 | 1.68 | 6 | 9 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| 09-10 | LAK | 41 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 1.34 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 09-10 | TBL | 19 | 0.16 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.32 | 2.42 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 10-11 | TBL | 81 | 0.21 | 0.42 | 0.63 | 0.12 | 2.42 | 19 | 36 | 55 | ||||||||||||
| C | 191 | 0.15 | 0.30 | 0.45 | 0.13 | 1.96 | 30 | 59 | 89 | |||||||||||||
Yes this is actually quite simple I know but important for fantasy purposes. The key to realize is that Teddy Purcell did not have a breakout season as a fluke. Clearly his last 19 games in Tampa were a fantasy harbinger of things to come. Inevitably now the real question is can he grow from here? Purcell was just too buried in Los Angeles to really produce and now he gets top six ice time in Tampa Bay. It is not a surprise as to why he is producing, especially when he plays with a guy like Steve Downie. For as much as Downie is hated, Downie has good offensive skills and natural chemistry with Purcell and that was evident for much of the last stretch of the regular season and the playoffs.
Purcell is also versatile and can play with guys like Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier. The reality is Purcell can create his own offense with speed and puck possession. Los Angeles never really gave him the time of day but Tampa Bay did and the results are amazing. The contract he signed is a testament of his future potential in Tampa maybe as a wingman to Stamkos when St. Louis does retire.
All signs point to a slight uptick this year and not another bonanza but hey 50-60 points for Purcell is money in the bank for fantasy owners and a 20 goal season to boot is very likely.
Fantasy Positive Impacts:
1. Steve Downie
2. Vincent Lecavalier
3. Martin St. Louis
Fantasy Negative Impacts:
1. Some prospects on Wing
2. Higher fantasy draft position
3. Goalies in the Southeast Division
Yes indeed the negatives are very few for Tampa as far as Teddy Purcell’s fantasy impact but some forwards who were in development probably did not expect him to blossom the way he did. Surely that will impact some who had prospects from the Tampa organization albeit minimally. What will be paramount at the start of the season for fantasy owners is to see how Purcell gets out of the gates. Expect him to get out firing hot especially after the playoff run he had which showed even the pessimists that he had arrived.
For now, expect Purcell to get more ice time and more Power Play time which will only boost his numbers more. Tenatively we have him pegged in the 50’s for points but slight increases across the board will make him attractive to those who missed the boat last year.
What say you hockey public? What will Purcell do this season? Let us have it.
