Final Grade: B
Midseason Grade: C+
Season Stats: 80 GP, 35 G, 35 A, 70 pt, +10, 257 shots
Minutes: 1428 total (4th among forwards), EV 12:35, PP 3:42, PK 1:34
Splits:
1st Half: 39 GP, 13 G, 12 A, 25 Pt, +3, 134 shots
2nd Half: 41 GP, 22 G, 23 A, 45 Pt, +7, 123 shots
Positions: All 80 games at RW
Lines: 2nd line (55 GP), 3rd line (21), 1st line (4)
Linemates:
C: Stastny (65 GP), Arnason (11), Sakic (4)
LW:
Career: Although he turned in some solid numbers, Hejduk was nowhere near a career high in any major category.
Report: It was a tale of two seasons for Hejduk…The first half was poor, with just 25 points in 39 games and a pathetic 4 in the month of December…Turned it around in a big way in the 2nd half, with 45 points in the final 41 games – 3rd best on the team…In my midseason report, I stated that I felt Hejduk’s scoring slump was more due to shot selection than effort…His shooting percentage was 9.7% in the first half, 9th best on the team…In the 2nd half, his percentage almost doubled to 17.8%, 2nd best behind Stastny…Actually took less shots in the 2nd half, but he was taking much better ones…Had a miserable 6 PP points (3G 3A) in the 1st half, but 18 in the 2nd half (9G 9A)…Hejduk has a great shot and is probably the best on the team at finding open ice to receive a pass…Skates very well without the puck…Sometimes too well – gets whistled too often for being offsides…Scored more even strength goals (23) than anyone else on the team…His +10 was tied for 2nd best on the team, and tops among forwards…Is a good penalty killer…Wasn’t used much in that role early on, but played more on the kill in the 2nd half and ended up with 125 minutes, 4th among forwards…Regained his knack for scoring big goals…6 game winners this year after just 2 last year.
Fast Fact: Hejduk’s rookie year was ’98-’99. No player entering the NHL that year or since has as many points as Hejduk (544).
2007-2007 Salary: $4,000,000
2007-2008 Status: signed ($4,000,000)
Outlook: Hejduk really turned his game around in the 2nd half of the season. He strikes me as a guy who relies a lot on confidence, so I feel a lot of the positive strides he made will carry over into next season. I don’t know that there’s another Rocket Richard trophy in his future, but 40 goals shouldn’t be out of reach next year
It should be pointed out that Hejduk started playing with Stastny at center instead of Arnason at around game 40 of the season. Coincidence?
The first half of the year I swore he played the game like he was at left wing intead of the right wing. He would always, and I mean always race down the left hand boards, do that heal-toe drag move right in to the chest pad of the goalie for a whistle. He wasn’t making bad plays but his creativity was just bad. I don’t know if Stastny helped him be more creative or what clicked but he was unbelievable those last twenty games or so. He’s a bargin at 4 million and it’s hard to believe many (including myself) considered him trade bait at the deadline. His knee is healthy and he got his speed back this year. I think Hejduk and Stastny will be a mainstay for this organization for a long time to come.
yes, it’s true that from Game 39 on, Stastny and Hejduk were together for good. But still, in those first 38 games he played all but 15 with Stastny.
I agree very much with the rest of your comments. His creativity was lacking, and I too am not sure if it was Stastny or some other factor that helped him turn stuff around.
Just keep him with Stastny next season and we all will be fine…
Didn’t Hejduk play regularly on a line with Forsberg back when he scored 50 goals one season? If my memory serves me correctly, Hejduk always excels when he has a dynamic, playmaking center on the same line because he finds open ice so well. Keep him with Son Of Peter and all should go well.
IMO, Hejduk hasn’t been the same player the last few years. Several of his countrymen on my beer-league team who have followed his career since infancy are of the same opinion. Your comment about his confidence is dead-on. I also wonder if he wasn’t thinking in terms of his career before he and his wife started their family. Perhaps he has a little trouble focusing on the here and now (i.e. championships) at the beginning of the season and is more worried about longevity and injuries over the long haul? Just a theory. Still, I agree that he’s a bargain and hopefully a staple in the Avs lineup for years to come.