EP Rinkside’s “JFresh” is posting a set of top 20 lists ranking players by position, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Alex DeBrincat make the list of left wings. He’s not ranked highly at 18th, but coming off a subpar season goals-wise, it’s something:
18. Alex DeBrincat – Detroit Red Wings
2023 Ranking: Not ranked
Two-time 40-goal scorer DeBrincat is still having trouble living up to his scoring pedigree since leaving Chicago, but his first stint with the Red Wings showed some promising signs under the hood, even if the point totals were almost identical to the 2022-23 season. The formerly-elite finishing touch is lagging a bit ā his 5-on-5 scoring rate since leaving the Hawks is down 25 percent compared to his first five seasons in the league ā but his overall offensive package was always underrated, and he’s finding a way to create quality looks, at a high rate. Defence is an issue, and you’ll rarely find him in the corners, but he knows his role and plays it well. Does he still have 35-plus goal upside?
Continued (paywall); DeBrincat is never going to vie for the Selke Trophy, and he’s not the world’s greatest forechecker, but he’s a smart passer, he skates well, and he snipes goals. It’s his job to be more consistent this year in the goal-scoring department.
