There are just some things you can't explain with stats. The new one I can't explain is King defenseman Jake Muzzin.
First let me preface this by saying I really like Jake Muzzin. There is a lot to like with Muzz, he is a big and talented kid with plenty of tools. However, he is extremely frustrating to watch at times.
This season Muzzin has stepped into a true full time role with Darryl Sutter, even though he was parked earlier in the season for a few games. After hanging around the bottom pairing for a while with Matt Greene he was seemingly promoted to first pairing minutes with Drew Doughty. He has since stabilized his game so to speak, providing solid offensive numbers while being average in his defensive game. Average enough, that is, to not be a liability most nights. He and Doughty look comfortable together and that is a big step away from Doughty and Regehr, who didn't look like they knew each others names most nights.
When you talk about Muzzin you have to talk about one thing though. As many of the more stat head oriented folks around the league have pointed out, Jake Muzzin is absolutely mauling the league's defenseman in corsi rating right now. As Robert from Jewels From the Crown put it...his numbers have been astronomical.
Kings possession numbers when Jake Muzzin has been on-ice are astronomical: http://t.co/WCzh8wlLm5
— Robert P. (@RobertJFTC) November 25, 2013Jake Muzzin ladies and gentleman. The best corsi defenseman in hockey. That's right.
Would you have guessed that? A simple eye test of the young dman this year yields a few mixed thoughts though. Yes he has talent, yes there is potential, but man he scares me. His reading of the game puts me in a state of uneasiness at times, as his pinches and decisions with the puck aren't always well thought, and can leave his team hanging. Perfect example was the late third period turnover by Muzzin against the Ducks which forced Kyle Clifford to take a penalty. The same game I saw Muzzin make several heads up offensive plays, and he also put six shots on net with the cannon he wields. He's been a massive addition to the King powerplay unit as well, as I feel like he is one of few defenders who consistently will get his shots on target.
Muzzin's play is so inconstant in games though it makes it hard to get a read on what kind of player he is or he could become. His offensive contributions are incredibly noticeable...and so are his mistakes. In the end I just settle back and say to myself that he's young. I'd rather have these flashes of brilliant play than none at all, even if they are mixed in with "what were you thinking?" moments.
Muzzin, 24, has made significant progress throughout his career though when you look at the arc. Back in early juniors he was a brash and physical player when he first started. He didn't contribute much in the way of offense but that part of his game slowly came around after some back injuries caused him to change the way he played the game. After his junior career, he went unsigned by the Penguins, the team which drafted him back in '07. When he signed an entry-level deal with the Kings it was considered a low-risk but high-reward signing. You could easily say that the Kings are reaping the rewards of taking that chance.
While he may be an enigma in every sense of the word, Muzzin has grown into a valuable role with the Kings and has overall made them a deeper club on defense, and on the powerplay. Between Muzzin, Voynov and Doughty, the Kings have one of the youngest and most talented puck moving trios in the NHL right now.
When you look at Muzzin, he has 80 games of NHL experience. That is incredibly low. The flux in his game, as well as the inconsistency are to be expected from such a green player. All I know is that when I take out all the corsi numbers and statistics and boil it down to good old fashioned hockeyisms, he's a player. He has all the tools and is definitely working hard on that toolbox.
While he may be frustrating at times, Muzzin has been great in what is only his sophomore season in the NHL. Take the good with the bad folks, because the good has been pretty darned good at times this year.
How would you rate Muzzin? I know most of the thoughts on the young defenseman have been pretty polarizing. What's your call?
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