Which player do people think rides the coattails of his linemates, but in fact drives that line? And vice versa, (which player benefits the most from his linemates)
If Pens are not going to protect Blueger I’d love to see Vegas try to acquire him with picks or prospects. Love the way he plays and he would be a perfect add to VGK bottom 6.
Which depth players should the leafs start and which should they scratch? I personally think Engvall should be playing right now but I don’t know how to fit him in
That's a very good question. People will point to his transition numbers and call him elite but ultimately those same people recognize that 23 is basically your prime and he's still in the 65-70 point range. I personally find the "Isles system" piece to be a soft excuse since he's basically a one-man system himself. With the Isles' cap situation the way it is it's very possible he doesn't get much better linemates either. Wouldn't surprise me to see him top out at 80 or less
Is Filip Hronek decent this year? What are your thoughts on using Corsi and relative corsi to evaluate players? I’m new to hockey analytics but trying to catch on.
No he wasn't. Based on his career results I think he has been sorely miscast as a #1 defenceman when he should be a #4. Corsi and relative Corsi were somewhat useful back in 2014 or so but a lot has developed since then, if you're an Athletic subscriber I'd recommend reading Charlie O'Connor's explainers
Just how good (or bad) was Ilya Kovalchuk? Was looking at his historical charts and to say they were a roller coaster feels like a huge understatement lol
We hear tons about how dominant Pelech-Pulock and Toews-Makar are as d-pairings - what are some of the other best pairings in the league? Fox-lindgren? Weegar-Ekblad?
With Jared Spurgeon’s down season, does he still remain as the best player on the Wild? Or do Kaprizov, Brodin, or Eriksson Ek pass him? Is he still even the best dman on the team? Who’s your best player (and dman) on the Wild?
David Pastrnak for the first time ever was great defensively this season, yet I still always see him ranked at #5 behind Stone, Marchand, Kucherov, Panarin. What will it take for pasta to crack that consensus top 4? Do you think he’s there yet?
Why is offensive RAPM so important for defensemen? Looking at Dermott for example, his GF, xGF and CF suck, but apart from that, the guy almost never makes any mistakes. He’s great with the puck, he’s a great passer, he’s super smart, amazing defensively, and yet nobody ever talks about him just because he doesn’t shoot the puck a lot. Is that really so important? He literally almost never makes mistakes, while others like Rielly and Muzzin make them constantly. What makes Dermott any worse than the “top 2” dmen on the leafs?
Something I’ve never understood is why defensemen who shoot a lot or praised so much. Players like Hamilton, Theodore, Petry are ranked so high because they shoot a ton. To me though when I watch these players it looks like they’re shooting the puck too much, and just breaking up the cycle to take a slapshot, that sometimes even gets blocked. So why is shooting a lot considered a good thing for defensemen?
When you watch games live, what do you normally look at in forwards to tell how good they are? I watched the Boston-Washington game 1 and it looked like Ovechkin was the best player on the ice to me, so how would you analyze forwards in a game?
Out of Edmonton 3 pending UFA Hopkins, Larsson and Barrie who’s the most important player for Edmonton to sign to stay competitive and who should they not
Have the Leafs actually managed to make Galchenyuk good again?
Vegas is likely to be missing Pacioretty and Marinez for some or all of the Minnesota series. Can Vegas win without them?
Which player do people think rides the coattails of his linemates, but in fact drives that line? And vice versa, (which player benefits the most from his linemates)
Legitimately how good do you feel about the Pens winning the cup? It feels like they might but Colorado, Vegas, and Carolina are so damn good.
realistically i recognize it's a very uphill battle but i'm gonna keep picking the Pens til I literally no longer can
If you’re the penguins’ GM, who do you expose to the Kraken?
Blueger, Tanev, maybe Zucker
If Pens are not going to protect Blueger I’d love to see Vegas try to acquire him with picks or prospects. Love the way he plays and he would be a perfect add to VGK bottom 6.
Will Jack Johnson still be in the League next year?
I hope so!
If McDavid and Crosby suddenly switched places, how would that effect your Stanley Cup predictions?
It would slightly increase my confidence in the Pens and slightly lower my confidence in the Oilers
How many OT game winners does Ceci score in the playoffs?
16
Would you play Marino or Letang against the barzal line?
Marino but they're gonna play Letang
Analytics wise, who is the most underrated/under appreciated forward and D in the league (Besides Pelech and Pulock because I know that’s your answer)
Which depth players should the leafs start and which should they scratch? I personally think Engvall should be playing right now but I don’t know how to fit him in
Will Barzal ever be the point per game player we saw earlier in his career? His reputation seems to still rely on that 85 point season’s laurels
That's a very good question. People will point to his transition numbers and call him elite but ultimately those same people recognize that 23 is basically your prime and he's still in the 65-70 point range. I personally find the "Isles system" piece to be a soft excuse since he's basically a one-man system himself. With the Isles' cap situation the way it is it's very possible he doesn't get much better linemates either. Wouldn't surprise me to see him top out at 80 or less
Is Filip Hronek decent this year? What are your thoughts on using Corsi and relative corsi to evaluate players? I’m new to hockey analytics but trying to catch on.
No he wasn't. Based on his career results I think he has been sorely miscast as a #1 defenceman when he should be a #4. Corsi and relative Corsi were somewhat useful back in 2014 or so but a lot has developed since then, if you're an Athletic subscriber I'd recommend reading Charlie O'Connor's explainers
Just how good (or bad) was Ilya Kovalchuk? Was looking at his historical charts and to say they were a roller coaster feels like a huge understatement lol
I think he was pretty much what you would expect. Elite shooter, good offensive driver, bad defensively
Yeah that makes sense, the thing that sticks out the most to me is his surprisingly great PK production, albeit like only every other year
Do you think that Jack Hughes will be a point per game player at some point?
Yes, especially if he gets to play with some similarly talented players
How has Torey Krug done this year. How much has Colton Parayko’s back injury affect him?
Do u think FLA has a chance at knocking off the Bolts?
Sure, but I have the Bolts. Panthers' D behind Weegar isn't good enough IMO and I don't trust Bobrovsky
#87 or #71?
87
The other day you told us your most overrated player. Who’s your pick for most underrated?
i guess you can't really say MacKenzie Weegar, but screw it I'll say it anyway
We hear tons about how dominant Pelech-Pulock and Toews-Makar are as d-pairings - what are some of the other best pairings in the league? Fox-lindgren? Weegar-Ekblad?
i'd add Josi-Ellis and Grzelcyk-McAvoy to that list
Mate. What's your deadlift PR?
i can't even remember anymore, stupid pandemic
How does nick backstrom's career compare to his contemporaries?
What is the biggest contract Seattle is most likely to take on?
Will Gallagher's production increase after years of elite play driving?
What would the Habs need to adjust in their play to have a chance of upsetting the Leafs?
since you think tkachuk is the most overrated, can u make a KK chart as people always seem to compare the two
With Jared Spurgeon’s down season, does he still remain as the best player on the Wild? Or do Kaprizov, Brodin, or Eriksson Ek pass him? Is he still even the best dman on the team? Who’s your best player (and dman) on the Wild?
David Pastrnak for the first time ever was great defensively this season, yet I still always see him ranked at #5 behind Stone, Marchand, Kucherov, Panarin. What will it take for pasta to crack that consensus top 4? Do you think he’s there yet?
Why is offensive RAPM so important for defensemen? Looking at Dermott for example, his GF, xGF and CF suck, but apart from that, the guy almost never makes any mistakes. He’s great with the puck, he’s a great passer, he’s super smart, amazing defensively, and yet nobody ever talks about him just because he doesn’t shoot the puck a lot. Is that really so important? He literally almost never makes mistakes, while others like Rielly and Muzzin make them constantly. What makes Dermott any worse than the “top 2” dmen on the leafs?
Something I’ve never understood is why defensemen who shoot a lot or praised so much. Players like Hamilton, Theodore, Petry are ranked so high because they shoot a ton. To me though when I watch these players it looks like they’re shooting the puck too much, and just breaking up the cycle to take a slapshot, that sometimes even gets blocked. So why is shooting a lot considered a good thing for defensemen?
When you watch games live, what do you normally look at in forwards to tell how good they are? I watched the Boston-Washington game 1 and it looked like Ovechkin was the best player on the ice to me, so how would you analyze forwards in a game?
Also who do you think would be a great complimentary snipers who would be available in free agency or via trade who’s affordable
Out of Edmonton 3 pending UFA Hopkins, Larsson and Barrie who’s the most important player for Edmonton to sign to stay competitive and who should they not