Joffrey Lupul Scouting Report by Gus Katsaros and Ryan Dadoun
Joffrey Lupul shattered his previous career-high with 67 points despite a shoulder injury that limited him to 66 games and cut his season short. Before the injury, he ranked sixth in points in the NHL. The former Duck, Flyer and Oiler was kept off the scoresheet in eight contests over the first half and was decently consistent over the course of the campaign. Playing alongside Phil Kessel was a contributing factor and Lupul assisted on 17 of Kessel’s 37 goals. As the season progressed, Lupul also learned to take advantage of the space created by Kessel and Tyler Bozak’s ability to push back defenders with their speed. The 28-year-old scored 25 goals, including a natural hat trick on Nov. 2. He benefited from charging the net and fighting for precious real estate in front of the net, taking advantage of rebounds, and drawing attention to create holes in coverage. Lupul has quick hands and his shot is a deadly asset, but he’s not a top-tier skater. The 2002 first-round pick is defensively responsible and he displayed increased aggression and physical engagement in 2011-12. Questions sill surround former coach with the Anaheim Ducks, Randy Carlyle. Lupul felt that Carlyle used him incorrectly, an issue addressed by Carlyle, clearing the air by crediting Lupul and keeping it in the past. However, Lupul only played in two games under Carlyle before his season was cut short.
