#22 Claude Lemieux
Scouting Report
The Finesse Game
Lemieux challenged his Devils' contract at the start of the season a few years ago, knowing the arbitration showdown would lead to his departure from New Jersey. And it did - landing him in Colorado, where he became only the fourth player in NHL history to win consecutive Stanley Cups with different teams. That´s the way it always seems to go for Claude "Le Me," the squeaky wheel who always seems to roll into the right spot. Lemieux is a shooter, a disturber, a force. He loves the puck, wants the puck, needs the puck and is sometimes obsessed with the puck. When he is struggling, that selfishness hurts the team. But when he gets into his groove everyone is happy to stand back and let him fly, and the two past seasons, on the talented Avalanche team, he fit right in. When Lemieux is on, he can rock the house. He has a hard slapshot and shoots well off the fly. He isn´t afraid to jam the front of the net for tips and screens and will battle for loose pucks. He has great hands for close-in shots. Although he wasn´t asked to do much defensively for Colorado, he can kill penalties and check top forwards.

The Physical Game
Lemieux is strong, with good skating balance and great upper body and arm strengt. He is very tough along the boards and in traffic in front of the net, outduelling many bigger opponents because he is always whining and yapping, the abuse Lemieux takes is often ignore, but it´s not unusual to find him with welts across his arms and cuts on his face. The satisfaction comes from knowing that his opponent usually looks even worse, but he still takes dumb penalties by jawing at the referees, who have little patience with him after all these years. Lemieux was suspended twice during the playoffs two years ago for his overzealous work, and his reputation played a part in those rulings. Everyone knows what has happened since Kris Draper was nailed from behind by Lemieux and injuried when he went into the boards. Draper had to spend several months in rehab, for full recovery of his broken jaw.

The Intangibles
Opponents hate Lemieux. Sometimes, his teammates do, too. But all has been harmonious in Colorado for two years as he has stepped his play up to match his talented teammates. Lemieux might be due for a letdown every season, but even if he does slump, he´ll be there in the playoffs. He is Mr. Spring.