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New York Islanders Calvin de Haan 2017-2018 Season Grade

By Charles Baldi
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 16: Victor Rask #49 of the Carolina Hurricanes and Calvin de Haan #44 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during the first period at the Barclays Center on November 16, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 16: Victor Rask #49 of the Carolina Hurricanes and Calvin de Haan #44 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during the first period at the Barclays Center on November 16, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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After failing to reach a long-term agreement last offseason, Calvin de Haan resigned with the New York Islanders on a one year “prove it” deal. However, de Haan never got to fully show his worth due to a season-ending shoulder injury in December.

The 2017-18 campaign was a big year for Calvin de Haan. The 26-year-old defenseman was just coming off a career-best season and needed to show Garth Snow he was worth a long-term investment.

Unfortunately, he only got to play less than half a season but I believe he proved his worth during his time on the ice.

Very quietly, de Haan has become a stalwart for the Islanders on the blueline. He won’t put up eye-popping numbers offensively, but he brings a lot of stability to the second pairing on defense.

Over the past couple of seasons, he’s been near the top in blocked shots, which is very important for a team giving up 40-50 shots a night.

In 33 games this season, de Haan had 12 points (1G, 11A) and was a +11. He was on pace to surpass his season high in points, 25, and his +/- was good enough to finish second among Islanders’ defenseman.

On top of that, de Haan had 65 blocked shots which would’ve probably led to a top 5 finish once again.

The Verdict

It’s very tough to judge players in a smaller sample size, but de Haan’s absence actually helped his case. Make no mistake about it, the Islanders defense was pretty bad even when de Haan was playing. Although, as soon as he went down with the injury, things went from bad to worse.

Next: Bailey, Barzal, Eberle Shine For Canada

The pending unrestricted free agent left a gaping hole on the blueline and there was no replacement to fill it. This season showed how much this team needs de Haan and his contract situation is another important part of the offseason for the Islanders.

Final Grade: B

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