Yakov Trenin

Last Season

Six goals and 23 points in all 82 games, plus-13, on thirteen minutes a night. Twenty-three points is a career high, and the plus-13 on this roster is the more impressive number.

The Finesse Game

Limited and unbothered by it. Sixty-one goals in 457 career games. He shoots from close range, finishes the odd rebound, and does not attempt plays that could go wrong in his own end.

The offence he does generate comes from the forecheck — arriving first, taking the puck, and putting it back to somebody who can use it.

The Physical Game

Six-two and 201, and it is the whole basis of his employment. He hits, he kills penalties, he wins pucks along the wall, and he takes defensive-zone draws against top lines. He does the heavy work at a level that lets skilled players start their shifts in the right end of the rink.

The Intangibles

Coaches have wanted this player at every stop, which is the clearest endorsement available for a bottom-six forward. He plays the same way whether his team is up three or down three.

At twenty-nine, with a game built on effort and detail rather than speed, he should hold this level for several more years. The ceiling is exactly what you see.