There are a few teams that have 4 better players in their lineups. Boston with Betts, Ortiz, Bogart's, Pedroia, and Ramirez clearly are much better. You could also put Detroit, Cubs, and even the Indians above Toronto's top four.

For a stats guy, you seem to ignore the fact that Jose is only a .234 hitter, Tulo a .250 hitter
And Martin and Saunders aren't great hitters. Rather than go by reputations, go by actual stats. You keep preaching that with hockey so why ignore them for baseball where I would say stats better gauge a player's ability.

The Jay's were clearly bearen by the better team, Cleveland. The playoff teams are so close that a few clutch hits is what usually separates the winners and losers.

Also, I think the "you have to hit more than homers" statement does stand up to scrutiny. The team that hits the most homers in a season rarely wins the World Series.
- EyeJay

I am sure he somehow believes that batting average isn't a good stat to use. Only the ones he chooses to use are good stats.

I am sure he somehow believes that batting average isn't a good stat to use. Only the ones he chooses to use are good stats.
- Aetherial

Actually it's pretty common knowledge that batting average is a stupid stat. Like the Plus / Minus of baseball.

Then again, I don't even really follow baseball other than the Blue Jays.

Nice to see your TO love.

In other news, TO teams would be perfect if they didn't lose all the time.
- golfingsince

Finally, someone who understands the TO fan perspective!

Nice to see more Ween content James, even if Deaner is a huge Flyers fan.
- Zezel

Hey, it's nice to see a comment that isn't a whiny attempt to show me up or discredit me on a technicality. Ween rules.

By this argument, kane is a second line winger and Kessel a 3rd line winger and Malkina second line centre
- James_Tanner

James how did you get this from the debate about Kadri being more suited for a good third line center. (on a good team) There is no comparison between Kane and Kessel to a Kadri.

Kadri is an agitator and you can rely on him for half decent defense. He might get you 15 goals this year. In the cup contender team the leafs are trying to build he would be perfect as your third line pivot. A Kadri, Komorov, Hymen type of line. He doesn't produce enough to be top 6.

There was a time he was thought to be and projected to be just that but his upside is over, he is what he is. IMHO

If you're not just being dismissive out of hand, I strongly suggest you google and read up on it. Faceoffs would matter if you could win enough of them, but since they're a zero sum game (i.e if you win, the other guy loses, so that a 6-4 record is really only one more win than the other guy since if you lost, he'd win) it's not possible.

For example, the best player in the NHL wins 60% but the worst only wins 40% which looks like a bigger difference than it is because of it being zero sum.

Since the range of possible %s for players is so small, it's impossible to win enough to make the difference. At lower levels of hockey, I am sure faceoffs take on more importance, but in the NHL, no one who is terrible takes that many.

Then there is the correlation to winning - there isn't one. The best faceoff team has missed the playoffs and the worst faceoff team has won the Cup. Faceoffs just don't seem to make a difference in who actually wins.

Like QOC, you can win the odd one and turn that into a goal, but over time, the effect washes out.

The upshot of this is that while you should certainly try to win faceoffs, it makes no sense to keep one player over another for the reason that that player is good at faceoffs. It shouldn't really factor in evaluations.
- James_Tanner

You we're asked in the other blog to provide the team with the worst faceoff percentage in the league that won the Cup. Which team?!

James how did you get this from the debate about Kadri being more suited for a good third line center. (on a good team) There is no comparison between Kane and Kessel to a Kadri.

Kadri is an agitator and you can rely on him for half decent defense. He might get you 15 goals this year. In the cup contender team the leafs are trying to build he would be perfect as your third line pivot. A Kadri, Komorov, Hymen type of line. He doesn't produce enough to be top 6.

There was a time he was thought to be and projected to be just that but his upside is over, he is what he is. IMHO
- sparky

This isn't true. If you crunch the numbers, you will find Kadri comfortably in the top 30 of NHL centres. That makes him a first line centre.

Again, regarding his upside, Kadri is a better player than the average 7th overall pick.

I do agree that on a contending team you want to have your third line centre to be a capable 1C - that is why Edmonton (McD, Draisaitl, RNH) and PGH (Crosby, Malkin, Bonino) are such dangerous teams.

You we're asked in the other blog to provide the team with the worst faceoff percentage in the league that won the Cup. Which team?!
- MJL

If you can post here, you have Google.

Wow, this is just a terrible blog.

If you're not just being dismissive out of hand, I strongly suggest you google and read up on it. Faceoffs would matter if you could win enough of them, but since they're a zero sum game (i.e if you win, the other guy loses, so that a 6-4 record is really only one more win than the other guy since if you lost, he'd win) it's not possible.

For example, the best player in the NHL wins 60% but the worst only wins 40% which looks like a bigger difference than it is because of it being zero sum.

Since the range of possible %s for players is so small, it's impossible to win enough to make the difference. At lower levels of hockey, I am sure faceoffs take on more importance, but in the NHL, no one who is terrible takes that many.

Then there is the correlation to winning - there isn't one. The best faceoff team has missed the playoffs and the worst faceoff team has won the Cup. Faceoffs just don't seem to make a difference in who actually wins.

Like QOC, you can win the odd one and turn that into a goal, but over time, the effect washes out.

The upshot of this is that while you should certainly try to win faceoffs, it makes no sense to keep one player over another for the reason that that player is good at faceoffs. It shouldn't really factor in evaluations.
- James_Tanner

It's really a travisty that you're not in charge of an NHL team

Any short sighted fool using the Canadiens fast start to justify their absolutely ridiculous and unforgivable trading of PK Subban. Last time I checked, six games doesn't mean ___ (expletive deleted).

I said it before and I'll say it again ... stick to commenting figure skating as hockey is obviously WAY over your head.

Last time I checked the Habs were at the top of the standings while the Preds are closer to the bottom.

Habs also have the highest goal differential (+11) and lowest goals against (with the Devils).

I'll take our GM's judgment before yours any day of the week.

If you can post here, you have Google.
- James_Tanner

You habe google also. I suspect there is a reason why you replied like this. You've now replied twice with rhat statement in the last two threads. The question is not unreasonable, nor is it to ask you to back that statement.up.

I said it before and I'll say it again ... stick to commenting figure skating as hockey is obviously WAY over your head.

Last time I checked the Habs were at the top of the standings while the Preds are closer to the bottom.

Habs also have the highest goal differential (+11) and lowest goals against (with the Devils).

I'll take our GM's judgment before yours any day of the week.
- Garfield512

I want to guarantee that Nashville finishes ahead of Montreal, but I really don't like Rinne. If they get a goalie I think Nashville is the best team in the NHL.

You habe google also. I suspect there is a reason why you replied like this. You've now replied twice with rhat statement in the last two threads. The question is not unreasonable, nor is it to ask you to back that statement.up.
- MJL

I just don't really care. By all means, go for it.

I just don't really care. By all means, go for it.
- James_Tanner

I'll take that as an inference of guilt.

Cups don't matter. They are a notoriously unreliable measure of success because winning a cup is such a rare event.

In order to measure the true success of a GM you have to count the number of phone calls they make to other GM's. Some people like to only count phone calls regarding player trades, while others count all phone calls made by a GM to another GM and even count wrong numbers if the intent was to dial-up another GM. Butt-dialing GMs can also be included although the number of butt-dials is relatively small.

The number of calls cannot be weighted by context of the standings, whether or not the GM's are friends, whether the call is long-distance, or crosses time-zone(s) or target GM has a player requesting a trade. It is PROVEN that these things all even out over time.

This is absolute truth, it isn't up to you to agree or disagree. It is simply a mathematical fact. If you don't agree either you don't understand it or you are an idiot and a troll.
- Aetherial

Outstanding!

You should be able to filter out butt dials though, similar to how Fenwick filters out blocked shots.

Making other players better doesn't mean you turn them into allstars. It also doesn't mean you can't be dragged down by playing with no finishers.

You should be better than to finish your sentence with an annoying smiley face. It's one thing to have a discussion, but you don't need to be rude about it.

I don't know what you think a first line centre looks like, but the standard is not Johnathan Tavares. That's elite. Kadri is not even that much worse than JT, but he's unquestionably one of the thirty best Cs in the NHL.
- James_Tanner

In the last two seasons, Kadri has finished 53rd, and tied for 51st in scoring among NHL centers. He's not a first line center in this league. He's a good 2nd line center, and he's certainly not among the top 30 centers in the league.

Outstanding!

You should be able to filter out butt dials though, similar to how Fenwick filters out blocked shots.
- MJL

Yes! I like it!

In the last two seasons, Kadri has finished 53rd, and tied for 51st in scoring among NHL centers. He's not a first line center in this league. He's a good 2nd line center, and he's certainly not among the top 30 centers in the league.
- MJL

I would even argue that he is an average, at best, 2nd line center.

We have to remember though, that the people who argue against that sentiment will point to Corsi, or a Hero chart or something.

This is because points don't matter.

I want to guarantee that Nashville finishes ahead of Montreal, but I really don't like Rinne. If they get a goalie I think Nashville is the best team in the NHL.
- James_Tanner

I still believe Tampa Bay has the best lineup.

I'm not poopooing PK Subban in any way but he's not what the Habs needed.

PK is a spectacular puck moving defenseman but I prefer Weber's reliability (and physicality) in our own zone ... Team Canada (World Cup Champions) also did incidentally.

Shots on our goal have decreased this year so Price is not asked to be the Saviour each night. I'm not saying that it's all because of Weber's arrival but our blue line is definitively better (harder to play against) with him on it.

This is because points don't matter.
- Aetherial

Neither do Championships either, obviously.

Are you really saying that you think that they should make shot blocking illegal???? Why stop there? Why not remove goalie too????

In the last two seasons, Kadri has finished 53rd, and tied for 51st in scoring among NHL centers. He's not a first line center in this league. He's a good 2nd line center, and he's certainly not among the top 30 centers in the league.
- MJL

I would argue that's actually quite a feat considering what the Leafs looked like the last 2 years.

I would argue that's actually quite a feat considering what the Leafs looked like the last 2 years.
- Wetbandit1

There's no doubt that surrounding talent is a factor to consider. That still doesn't make him a #1 center. Jack Eichel last year played on a poor team, and was able to put up points as a rookie.