When wild winger Ryan Hartmann signed a contract extension six months ago, general manager Bill Guerin said it was a good move for both sides.
It gave the 27-year-old Hartmann a sense of stability at this point in his career, and it gave Wilde a gritty player that he could send on board in every situation.
Plus, as Guerin noted at the time, Hartmann has yet to reach his full potential.
“I think we can help him become a better player,” Guerin said in April. “He’s been a big contributor so far. And I think there’s more. I believe in him.”
That belief has proven well-founded as Hartmann currently leads Wilde with six goals this season. And he’s scoring in the biggest moments.
Like won over the Penguins in Saturday’s thrilling shootout, when they set a goal with seconds remaining in regulation. Or win over the New York Islanders in Sunday’s comeback when they ignited the rally with a top-shelf snip.
Not bad for a guy who’s only making $1.7 million per season and is starting to look like the best deal in the NHL.
“It’s still an 82-game season and there’s still a lot of hockey to play,” Hartman said of his recent hot streak. “Obviously, I want to keep that going, and I’m going to try to do it. But we have a lot of players who can do that.”
Maybe Hartmann is shining as a goal-scorer, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. There is a reason he was picked by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2013 draft. He has always given the scoring touch, and has proved his career-high 19 goals during the 2016-17 season.
But Hartmann began to see his role gradually diminish over the course of his career. He found himself playing at the bottom of the lineup most nights, and while he’s filled various roles since originally signing with Wilde on July 1, 2019, he’s been the top goal-scorer ever until this season. Did not see
Where did that development come from?
“He’s determined how he plays the game and the passion with which he plays,” coach Dean Evans said last week. “Now we need him to stay out of the penalty box,” he said. This is an area in which our entire group needs to get better. But Hartzy plays with an edge and a bite
“We love the way he competes. He has gotten better and better because of the way he plays. He also brings great leadership to the room. He was in an argument when we were throwing letters at people. Just a great present for us, and we are happy to have him. ”
Asked what he did differently this season to score more goals, Hartmann only took it as a way to bury his chances. He mentioned how he had a handful of breakaways at the start of last season. punchline?
“I didn’t score on any of them,” he admitted. “Just to be a little more opportunistic and splurge on a few occasions. Nothing really different.”
As long as he continues to score, Wilde doesn’t care how he does it.
