Since the Maple Leafs hired Darryl Metcalf and ExtraSkater.com was taken down, a couple new analytics websites have been created.
One of the new advanced stats sites, War-On-Ice.com, has a Hextally feature that allows you to see shot coordinates for and against with/without any NHL player on the ice.
I was playing around with the site and, since Eric Gelinas is often criticized for his defense, I decided to take a look at where opponents get most of their shots with him on the ice compared to without him.
As you would expect with a rookie defenseman still finding his way in the NHL, the Devils allowed more chances in the danger area with him on the ice than without.
Note: For clarification purposes, red means the opposition generates a lot of shots from that area, green is where they get a moderate amount and blue indicates teams don't generate much in that area.
Above you see the coordinates with Gelinas on the ice (left) at even strength as opposed to when he's not (right).
Without Gelinas the Devils generally don't allow much just outside the paint, but with him on the ice it's more of a hot spot. That said, the light green indicates there's still not a lot of volume so it's not overly concerning.
I wanted to see how Gelinas' work stacked up against a defenseman viewed as defensively responsible, so I also looked at Bryce Salvador's numbers.
With Salvador on the ice (left) teams generate quite a bit of offense from the slot and just outside of the paint. Without Salvador the Devils do a good job of taking away the front of the net, and keep most opportunities in the high slot and at the point as opposed to in the crease. It's been like that since Salvador was acquired, too.
The Devils don't allow a lot of shots, and have historically done a good job of keeping them to the outside, so Salvador's numbers look worse than they are, but it's interesting data nonetheless.
I'm curious to see how Gelinas does with a season under his belt, and how Salvador fares as he continues to age while still facing quality competition.
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Email: NHLToddCordell@Gmail.com