Trent Hunter and the Islanders recently went to arbitration, with the arbiter ruling half-way and giving Hunter a $1.55mil/1 season contract. This is a workable and fair number for both sides. Hunter is an industrious worker bee who hits almost everything that moves.What has always puzzled me is just how Hunter has failed to build on a successful rookie season, whereby he merited some serious Calder Trophy consideration.
SEASON GP G A PTS
2003-04 77 25 26 51
2005-06 82 16 19 35
2006-07 77 20 15 35
During his rookie season, Hunter was a 1-man force of nature. He would put onto any line that was struggling, and give them a boost with his hard work, strength in the corners, and ability to do the dirty work. It looked like Hunter had a bright future ahead of him as a bonafide 2nd line powerhouse.So, what ever happened to the guy who could do this?
I always appreciated that Hunter could delivery plenty of hits and work in the trenches while taking very few penalties. In terms of Lady Byng candidates, Hunter never got nearly enough press for his ability to stay out of the Sin Bin.
Perhaps the "New NHL" is just a little too fast for a somewhat-poor skater like Hunter? His strides are good, but his quickness isn't great. It's not too often that a player does obviously better in his first season than he does during the rest of his career.
For poolies, Hunter is not a great gamble to return to his rookie form, despite the promise he holds. If Hunter continues the trend, 35-40 points is a safe bet.
