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| Machacek's great play earned him a new contract. (Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports) |
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: #22
Difference: +3
Spencer Machacek made his mark on the new Winnipeg Jets organization towards the end of the 2011-12 season by scoring nine points (two goals, seven assists) in thirteen games on a fourth line role.
Because of Machacek's gritty, selfless play, veteran Tanner Glass was deemed expendable.
Adding to that, the Jets recently re-signing the 23 year-old right winger and you can see how the Jets brass liked what they got from the gritty winger.
Machacek spent three seasons in the Atlanta Thrashers organization after being the 67th overall pick in the third round in 2007.
He showed gradual improvement, but was, at best, a second line productive winger in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, scoring an AHL career high 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games in 2011-12.
That season made the Thrashers look at him for 10 games, in which he was held pointless.
But in his 13 games in the NHL with a new blue jersey on, Machacek made good on another full season of development in the AHL as he spent 61 games in St. John's collecting 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) and seeing his stock rise steeply.
For Machacek, despite having the new contract extension, he still has to compete with the likes of Patrice Cormier for a fourth line enforcer role.
He showed us last year he was willing to drop the mits and could also chip in offensively, so perhaps his ceiling is more than a fourth liner - maybe a third liner who can score 10-15 goals in a good season.
Whatever his ceiling may be, Machacek is another diamond in the rough the Jets have happily inherited.
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