CBJ of the Day: James Sheppard

By William Espy

The first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is remembered for players like Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, Claude Giroux, and Nick Foligno. When the Minnesota Wild selected ninth overall that year, they were hoping to get a top player for the next decade. While they didn’t get that, they did get a future NHL regular who has seemingly turned into a bit of a journeyman. James Sheppard has not lived up to the hype behind him when he was picked very early in the draft, however he has become a good player in his own right. Sheppard is currently signed to a professional try-out with the Blue Jackets, and the odds of him making the team are not in his favor however he is motivated to beat those odds.

James Sheppard is not one of the premier bottom six players in the NHL; however he is also more than a fringe player. He has averaged 13 points a season over his seven year career which has included runs with the Minnesota Wild, the San Jose Sharks and most recently a short stint with the New York Rangers. The highlight of his career was in the 2013-2014 playoffs with the Sharks when he posted 6 points in 7 games.
As shown in his HERO chart above, Sheppard is no more than a 4th line player except for in Time on Ice. However that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Nearly all his Corsi stats are higher than would be expected for a player of his caliber which means more often than not the puck is in the offensive zone when he is on the ice. Sheppard is an above average defensive player with a decent offensive ability and he is also relatively disciplined for a fourth line player.

If the Gregory Campbell signing had not happened, then it would be very likely that Sheppard would have made the team. With training camps quickly approaching, Sheppard is probably in a bit of a panicked state meaning he would take a contract that he usually would not even look at. While it is very improbable that he will make the team, a strong training camp could help him push for a spot and at the very least get a contract as a 13th forward who can easily take a regular job if he is called upon.