The rundown on defenseman Pat Bowen:
2010-11 stats [career]: 3 goals, 13 points, 32 penalty minutes, -10 rating in 52 games.
Quote: “I feel like there’s only going up from here, once you get comfortable with the league. I think you’ll see a lot more of what you saw the past few weeks this season.”
Pros: By the end of his first pro season, Bowen was a versatile, strong-skating defenseman. He might not have been outstanding at any one thing, but was playing reliable minutes in power-play, penalty kill, and even-strength situations. He’ll be 26 next season but is learning the game and can reasonably expect to improve.
Cons: Bowen must still prove he can be consistent over a full 72-game season — especially in his assertiveness, his decision-making, and his ability to create scoring chances. He didn’t always finish his checks even though he has enough size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) to make it an asset at this level.