Jillian Fisher: The Workhorse: Iron Man NHL Defensemen There seems to be a shift to valuing – or almost needing – a workhorse type of defensive player on a team. How has this changed over they years, and why?

This is just a guess, but I think that as you see more and more teams focused on what they can learn from data, and as teams become more comfortable making decisions that go against accepted hockey dogma, you'll see the average ice time of players drop significantly.

For instance: If Erik Karlsson plays 30 minutes, how many of those minutes is he "Erik Karlsson" for? At what point does his play slip and when it does, does he become average, still better than most or below replacement?

Outside of your true super-star players, the difference between the rest of the players in the league is marginal. It exists, but it's small enough that, at least theoretically, you might get an edge if you happened to play your players more balanced ice time.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how or what gets changed as data continues to challenge the way things have always been done.

I think if I were in my 20s or 30s still, it would be a lot easier for me to jump on the bandwagon of the statistical era that the NHL is embracing, even if it is one team at a time. I suppose what dogs me about this subject in my (stubborn) later years is I just don't see how analytics can capture either the spontaneity or the emotions of the greatest sport on this planet. You know, how a player can be wallowing in the doldrums in one locker room, and then suddenly become a key playoff piece in the run to the Cup on another team, and so forth.
I don't deny its more recent popularity, but I just don't see how it can truly capture such elusive elements as a player's ability to make a split-second decision better on one night than another, or while wearing a different sweater.

To me, deep analytical statistics have a more natural home in the sport of baseball, where the pace of the game is much slower, and far less spontaneous. Just me thinking out loud.


GO PENS !!

I think if I were in my 20s or 30s still, it would be a lot easier for me to jump on the bandwagon of the statistical era that the NHL is embracing, even if it is one team at a time. I suppose what dogs me about this subject in my (stubborn) later years is I just don't see how analytics can capture either the spontaneity or the emotions of the greatest sport on this planet. You know, how a player can be wallowing in the doldrums in one locker room, and then suddenly become a key playoff piece in the run to the Cup on another team, and so forth.
I don't deny its more recent popularity, but I just don't see how it can truly capture such elusive elements as a player's ability to make a split-second decision better on one night than another, or while wearing a different sweater.

To me, deep analytical statistics have a more natural home in the sport of baseball, where the pace of the game is much slower, and far less spontaneous. Just me thinking out loud.


GO PENS !!
- skridscousin

While you may think that, the amount of variables that are involved in a hockey game are what makes analytics so effective. If you an find a way to influence even a tiny percentage of those, it's a big advantage over the long term.