The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2017 THE WOLVERINE 41 3. MAX PACIORETTY, LW MONTREAL CANADIENS (NHL) The steady Eddie of the Canadiens is the captain of one of the league's most storied franchises and has notched 30 or more goals in four straight seasons now, including 35 last year (to go with 32 assists). He also improved his plus/minus from minus-10 in 2015-16 to plus-15. Only five NHL players have scored more goals than Pacioretty's 102 over the last three years, a list that includes Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and a few of the other top names in the game. Last year's Masterton Trophy win- ner (player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsman- ship and dedication to hockey) ranks third in his 2007 draft class with 209 goals, eighth with 202 assists and fourth with 411 points. Only fellow wingers Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn and Jakub Voracek have more points. "It's been amazing," Pacioretty told NHL.com. "There were times when I doubted if this would ever happen and I never saw myself get- ting to this level." He's been the Canadiens' lead- ing point producer the last six years running. 4. BRANDON GRAHAM, DE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (NFL) G r a h a m s i g n e d a f o u r- y e a r, $26-million contract with $14 million guaranteed to remain in Philadelphia before last year, and it paid off for both sides. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career and notched career bests with 59 tackles and 41 solo stops. He also registered 5.5 sacks, bringing his seven-year to- tal to 29, and forced two fumbles. He was ranked No. 93 on the NFL Network's Top 100 countdown for his first appearance on the list. Graham has had five defensive co- ordinators in his seven years with the team, but the switch to Jim Schwartz last season paid dividends. Accord- ing to NFL Network, his 80 com- bined sacks, quarterback hurries and knockdowns led the league, while Pro Football Focus ranked him the No. 9 player in the league. Graham earned Associated Press second-team All-Pro honors, and has now recorded 231 tackles and forced 14 fumbles during his career. 5. RICH HILL, P LOS ANGELES DODGERS (MLB) The former U-M left-hander con- tinues to impress in what's been a re- markable comeback. The 37-year-old battled blisters the last two seasons, but he finished last year with a 2.12 ERA in 20 games (14 with Oakland Athletics and six with the Los An- geles Dodgers) and was 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA this season as of July 10. He beat the Padres July 1 by throw- ing seven shutout innings in an 8-0 victory, striking out a career-high 11. Once a promising Chicago Cubs' up- and-comer, Hill has since been with The Up-And-Comers Five Michigan pros that will likely make the top 10 in the future: • Jake Ryan, LB, Green Bay Packers (NFL): The former fourth-round pick started 10 of 14 games last year, missing two with injury, and improved his tackle total from 50 in 2015 to 82 last season. He made this list last year and could very well make the top 10 a year from now. • Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL): Werenski saw action in 78 games and notched 11 goals (one game-winner) and 36 assists, finished plus-17 with 188 shots on goal for 50-24-8 Columbus and became a fan favorite in his first season with the club. • Caris LeVert, SG, Brooklyn Nets (NBA): LeVert, the 20th pick in the 2016 draft, notched 36 votes in NBA All-Rookie voting, including two for first team. He finished 12th in the balloting, but since there are only two teams, he didn't get All-Rookie recognition. He finished with 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 57 contests (21.7 minutes per contest), even though he didn't start playing until December. He underwent foot reconstruction surgery the previous March and was limited for several weeks. • Graham Glasgow, C, Detroit Lions (NFL): Glasgow, a third-round draft choice, started 11 games, mostly at guard with some at center. He finished his first season allowing three sacks, three quarterback hits and 24 hurries … not bad for a rookie. • Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit Red Wings (NHL): Larkin made the top 10 a year ago, but he took a step back, notching 32 points compared to the 45 he had during his rookie campaign. He also finished minus-28 in plus/minus after going plus-11 a year prior. Still, most believe he has a bright future in Detroit. — Chris Balas Jake Ryan started 10 of the 14 games he played in and notched a career-high 82 tackles for the Green Bay Packers last season. PHOTO COURTESY GREEN BAY PACKERS/JIM BIEVER