Great power forwards are few and far between at the National Hockey League level, so spotting one early can be challenging. The difficulty usually is determining whether someone has the abilities to score and add toughness like Milan Lucic, or just a forward with average skill who has been blessed with size.

When taking a closer look at Eric Tangradi there is good indicators that he can make a succesful transition to the NHL. His 6'4 and 225lb frame should translate well to the pro game and his play in his first two seasons in the American Hockey League are evidence of that. Tangradi showed he can score by tallying 17 goals in 2009-10 and 18 goals in just 42 games in 2010-11 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Not to mention he also added 86 PIM last season as well. He has also shown he is willing to drop the gloves as well by registering four fights this past season and two in the 2010 Rookie Tournament in Toronto. Those numbers were actually higher than that of his junior fights which shows he understands what he needs to do to make it at the next level.

In junior his scoring numbers proved that when it all comes together for Tangradi, he can be an imposing force that can dominate. In his final year in the OHL, he posted 38 goals and 88 points in just 55 games for the Belleville Bulls. With that kind of production the Penguins took a chance and acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks along with Chris Kunitz in a deal that saw talented defenseman Ryan Whitney go the other way.

Tangradi had a short 15 game stay with the Penguins last year and didn't look out of place at the NHL level. With Kunitz, James Neal, Matt Cooke, and the recently signed Steve Sullivan figuring to be holding down the left wing spots, Tangradi may find it difficult to earn a full-time roster spot in 2011-12. However he recently indicated that he would have no problem moving over to the right side as he was equally comfortable their as well. He would also bring a different skill set than the aforementioned group of forwards which could make him more attractive when the Pens are nailing down the final few roster spots.

If you factor in the Sidney Crosby concussion situation, as well as last year's injury woes up front, it appears the Penguins are starting to realize they may need to manufacture offense in other ways. They reverted to more of a team style of game with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal missing significant chunks of time. Tangradi fits this bill nicely as he lives just outside the crease giving Pittsburgh a net presence they have been sorely lacking. By paying the price in front of the net you can often put up better numbers than your skills would normally project by banging in rebounds and picking up garbage goals. Exhibit A would be Tomas Holmstrom.

Tangradi is now 22-years-old and his development has not been rushed or forced by any stretch. He has been given opportunities to improve at the AHL level and has now had a brief taste of the NHL. With his combination of size, skill, and grit, he could easily make a contribution to your fantasy roster in the near future and for years to come.

Awesome read, Michael! Thanks for this. Looking forward to seeing what he can do this year... hoping he gets a much longer taste.

__________________
10tm Dynasty Lg - $70M CAP
G A PTS +/- PIM PPP SOG W GAA SV% SO

C: J. Carter, H Sedin, E. Staal
RW: P. Kane, Stewart
LW: Semin, Couture
D: Pietrangelo, Hamhuis, Subban, Carlson
G: Lundqvist, Price
UTIL: Plekanec, Ennis, Perron, D. Brown


Farm
D: B. Smith, Morrow
F: Brassard, Williams, Niederreiter, Little, Okposo, Whitney, Nyquist, Kesler
G: S. Mason, Ward

Prospect:
F - Z. Kassian, Spooner, Kuznetsov, Tatar, Teravainen, Stone, Connolly
D - Matt Dumba

Great read and well presented.

Thanks for sharing!

__________________
Gates Imbeau
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Email: gates@dobbersports.com
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