The much maligned Torres had a 2013-14 that makes it tough to predict what will happen when he returns this season. A pre-season injury prevented him from playing in all but five games of last season and he clearly played those games hurt. Nonetheless, he put up three goals and two assists in those five games while averaging only 10:22 of ice time. Unfortunately, that productivity came in a very small sample size and it doesn't mean he's on the rise. Torres, now 32, is probably what he's always been. That is, a third line winger capable of getting you some penalty minutes with goal totals in the teens and point totals approaching -- though not hitting -- 30. And that's in a good year. For advanced stat geeks, you'll note that his PDO (the "luck stat" adding shooting percentage and save percentage while a player is on the ice) is a ridiculously high 112.7 percent. But luck always come to an end, even for the best gamblers. There's a potential sleeper pick in Torres, but his health is an ongoing concern, especially given the physical game he plays. You have to love gambling to draft him in most formats.
So, how exactly does Groundhog Day go again? Yes, Torres ended his second straight season with yet another playoff suspension. This surprises no one, as that’s the reputation Torres has cultivated. But that reputation hides the fact that the winger isn't just a third line forward who can protect some young talent while shutting down the opposing line. He has the ability to score, set up plays and be an offensive presence ... as long as his head stays screwed on the right way. His new three-year contract says that the Sharks' front office sees this, too. And Torres might get playing time on one of the top two lines as he did when Martin Havlat was injured last year, so there's a possibility that his production could inch toward that half-point-per-game range that he's done once before in his career. Torres isn't an All Star and he's not well-known for his fantasy production, but he's worth keeping an eye on as the Sharks' depth chart falls into place during the preseason.
UPDATE: Torres will miss a minimum of six weeks due to a knee injury sustained in a preseason game. Losing 6+ weeks of games for Torres make him nearly undraftable, except in a very deep league or specialty format. Even then, if you really want Torres on your team, you could probably grab him off waivers once he returns.
Torres will be unavailable for the first eight games of 2012-13 as he continues to serve a suspension that was reduced to 21 games for a hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa during the opening round of the playoffs. Torres is a quiet -- but surprising -- source of offense for the Coyotes. He had 26 points to complement 83 sin bin minutes last year and there's no reason to think a similar output isn't possible going forward.
The Coyotes signed Torres to a two-year deal in July after the former Canuck tallied 14 goals and 15 assists in 80 games with Vancouver en route to racking up 78 PIMs and a plus-4 rating. While his offensive numbers may slide a bit with the Coyotes, he should continue to provide an excellent source of forward sin-bin minutes.
Torres was the big trade deadline acquisition for the Sabres in 2009-10, and was a pretty big flop. He is better than the player who only mustered five assists in 14 games in the blue and gold. Torres signed a one-year deal with the Canucks in August. He'll have a chance to sneak into the Orcas' top-six if Alex Burrows (shoulder) misses any action early in the season.
Gritty but injury-prone forward tried to get his career back on track with Columbus last season, playing in 51 games last season and scoring 12 goals with 20 points.
Torres is a former fifth overall pick who used to be a consistent 20-goal scorer for the Oilers, but his ’07-’08 season was ruined by a knee injury and truth be told, he seemed to have hit a wall in his development in Edmonton anyway. There’s always the chance for a Cam Neely-like breakout with any younger power forward, but more likely he’ll find himself on a grinder line in Columbus.
Torres has averaged 20 goals per season through the first three years of his career, but it always seems he could and should be doing more. With Dustin Penner coming in off a huge offer sheet, Torres' chances of playing on the first line seemed to have diminshed. He has the potential to do some damage offensively, but needs to be more consistent if he's going to jump past the 40-point plateau.
Torres is a streaky scorer, now he just needs to have the hot streaks outweigh the slumps. Should again hover in the 25 goal range.
In his first full NHL season (2003-04), Torres scored 34 points in 80 games, lighting the lamp 20 times (five of them on the power play). He’s only 23, so expect some growing pains for another year or two. But while he still needs seasoning, he should be able to improve on his 34 point season. His scoring touch may enable him to jump to the 25 goal range this year.
