Eric Fehr

'07-08 Stats                      Age (on October 1): 23                  Contract: RFA

'07-08 Season Report

A 50-goal scorer. Three years ago, that's what many thought Fehr might develop into. Back injuries have been a major setback, but he did show signs of improvement as the season and playoffs progressed.

Originally placed on the opposite wing as Alex Ovechkin when he returned to the lineup, that experiment did not last long. He quickly fell to the second, then third, then fourth line, and eventually became a healthy scratch. But Tomas Fleischmann's ineffectiveness in the first two games of the playoffs paved the way for his return.

He scored just one goal in the playoffs and managed only 5 shots on goal in 5 games. A guy who is supposed to be a sniper, power forward hybrid needs to create more chances for himself.

His size is certainly his biggest asset but he's got to get stronger, especially in the lower body. For a guy his size, he gets pushed around far too easily. He also needs to improve his shot. Of the chances he did have, most of his shots ended up in the goalie's belly. He has to start finding the corners to become a scoring threat.

Intangibles

Fehr is still young and needs to build his confidence through scoring goals so he can establish his spot on the team before he really starts to fit in. If he can, he would be a wonderful complement for a guy like Alexander Semin on the second scoring line. But only time will tell.

Future Fit

Fehr is still believed to have worlds of potential. But at this point, I think most would be happy with a guy who crowds the front of the net and contributes with 25-30 goals a season. From what he's shown this year, he's a ways off. But if he can remain healthy, the road to success may be nearer than we think.