Tom Wandell #23 C
- 24 years old. Will be entering his fourth season of NHL play next year.
- 1 year left on his contract. Restricted free agent in the 2012-2013 season.
- Will make $775,000 next season.
| Year | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PIM | SOG | PPG | PPA | SHG | TOI/G |
| 2010-2011 | 75 | 7 | 2 | 9 | -5 | 14 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:45 |
| Career Average | 46.3 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 9 | -1.3 | 10.7 | 67.3 | 0 | .3 | 0 | – |
| Peak Numbers | 75 | 7 | 10 | 15 | +2 | 14 | 94 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13:52 |
Tom Wandell did this year what a third/fourth line player is supposed to do; get on the ice and play hard during your limited time on the ice. He’s not someone who is expected to score goals, only check hard and win puck battles. Through team injuries and other circumstances, Wandell found himself playing more than expected during the year. Before the injury bug hit the team in latter half of the season, Wandell’s minutes flucuated and he played anywhere from six minutes to fifteen minutes a game.
Wandell had a shoulder injury just before the All-Star break that put a small hold on his season. When he returned to the team, he found himself thrust into more minutes as Jamie Benn and Brad Richards went down with injuries. From February on, Wandell only saw less than eleven minutes a game once. Towards the end of the season, Wandell looked like one of the hardest working players on the team and there were some games where he and his line looked like the most effective players on the team.
Overall, he looked like a solid role player on the team and is good at what he does. Goals and assists are a bonus from him. Maybe with time, his game will grow into something more substantial, but Dallas needs guys like him that are just going balls-to-the-wall whenever they are on the ice.
If nothing else, Wandell was consistent in his (limited) scoring. He was good for at least one or two points each month and the Stars won five of the six games that he scored in.
Wandell’s role and minutes for next season are a mystery at the moment. One would expect that he would get a bit more playing time next season, especially ith the expected departure of Brad Richards, and possibly a few other players. However, since a new coach will be manning the helm, Wandell will have to prove that he’s worthy of getting more time on the ice. Wandell was supposed to play for Team Sweden in the World Championships, but he suffered a shoulder injury and will miss the tournament.
Stats Legend:
- +/-: Plus/Minus Ratings
- PIM: Penalty Minutes
- SOG: Shots on Goal
- PPG: Power-Play Goals
- PPA: Power-Play Assists
- SHG: Short-Handed Goals
- TOI/G: Time on Ice per Game
