- Barry Trotz is the best coach in the NHL, by farLost in that whirlwind is the comeback performance of Derick Brassard after a sub-par performance for three separate teams last season, posting just 9 goals and 15 points in 40 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1 goal and 4 points in 10 games with the Florida Panthers, and 4 goals and 0 assists in 20 games with the Colorado Avalanche. He was destined for a one-year deal, but falling on Long Island may have been the best thing for him.
- Mitch Korn might be the best goaltending coach/guru of this post-Allaire generation
- Hockey is a team sport, and losing a superstar sometimes is best for the group
- Depth behind a strong-but-not-elite top line, under the right coach, can produce better results than relying on some of the best players in the world
He's had 5 goals in the Isles' win streak, putting him at 8 points in 60 games, a production that projects to decent 41 points over a full season, particularly considering the fact that he's technically the fifth centre on the team, behind Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee; in reality, Bailey and Lee play wing on the first line, meaning Brassard has played around 15 minutes per game, which is decent. Still, he ranks sixth in team scoring, something that many people didn't see coming for the 32-year-old.
I, for one, still trusted the seven-time 40-point producer to bounce back, but I did have doubts that the Islanders - a team no one has posted a point-per-game average on since the defensively-minded Trotz took on the coaching job - were the team where his statistics would pop enough for the hockey world to take notice.
I couldn't be happier to be wrong.
Here he is from his days with the Columbus Blue Jackets on card #QJ-BR from Upper Deck's 2009-10 Black Diamond set and Quad Jerseys sub-set:
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