Yet again, Doughty and Keith (arguably the most important individual players on their respective teams) are still playing. Sure there are other factors, including the talent that surrounds each.

Karlsson is an exciting player with a lot of skill. But there's an argument against elevating him to Bobby Orr status too.

So there's that.
- John Jaeckel

John,

Doughty is the most important individual player on the Kings, for sure.

But who could argue Keith is the most important player on the Hawks? Especially this year of all years? Is he an excellent defenseman? Yes, quite. But when the league MVP and runaway scoring leader plays on Chicago, I'm pretty sure that makes Keith at best the second most important player...

Sorry, this is a pet peeve of mine. I can't understand how each individual player on the Blackhawks can be the best because "they are still playing at this time of year." You think the Hawks would have missed the playoffs if they had Karlsson instead of Keith?

In the seventies people complained about too many teams blah, blah,blah
In the eighties it was too wide open, too high scoring blah, blah, blah
In the nineties too much hooking and holding blah, blah, blah
In the new millennium the trap and staged fighting blah, blah, blah
Now it's shot blocking, goalie equipment, players too big and fast blah, blah, blah

It reminds me of how each decade music changes and the past generation thinks their music was the best.

Just enjoy the hockey I say. It is and always was the greatest game ever.

By the way, James, kinda agree with your minus to the Senators.

Not saying the Senators were doing horribly considering the constraints put upon them (budgetary), but I'm not sure rearranging the deck chairs is the answer.

To be fair to Tanner, this is a huge problem with all analytic based opinions. Picking and choosing what is important to support a biased opinion.

Doughty outscored Stralman by 17 points. That doesn't matter

Karlsson outscored all other defensemen. That matters
- sbroads24

also Ek making the Sens the best team in hockey when he's on the ice

wait...didn't he say that about McDavid....how many best teams could there be that never make the playoffs?

also Ek making the Sens the best team in hockey when he's on the ice

wait...didn't he say that about McDavid....how many best teams could there be that never make the playoffs?
- Garnie

Yea, that's a pretty bold statement. Considering he plays half the game, the other players must be pretty awful if they can't make the playoffs.

Logic tells me that if you are the best team in the league for 30 minutes a game, you must be the worst team or close to it for the other 30.

Yea, that's a pretty bold statement. Considering he plays half the game, the other players must be pretty awful if they can't make the playoffs.

Logic tells me that if you are the best team in the league for 30 minutes a game, you must be the worst team or close to it for the other 30.
- sbroads24

Well, they were this for sure for most of the season.

Yea, that's a pretty bold statement. Considering he plays half the game, the other players must be pretty awful if they can't make the playoffs.

Logic tells me that if you are the best team in the league for 30 minutes a game, you must be the worst team or close to it for the other 30.
- sbroads24

score lots yes...get scored on lots...yes.

James favorite stat....he's -2 for the year and has 44 even strength points for the year.

Well, they were this for sure for most of the season.
- Mr_Clean

You guys have some good pieces....it's not all Ek.

Good tender
Good top 6

not too bad of D...

I just don't think a team should run everything through 1 D. IMO

score lots yes...get scored on lots...yes.

James favorite stat....he's -2 for the year and has 44 even strength points for the year.
- Garnie

As mentioned elsewhere, the rest of the team is awful defensively. Even the vaunted Drew Doughty would have been a minus player on the Senators this year, playing 30 minutes a game with the defensive non-structure they had.

Top-6 forwards (asides from Stone and Turris before the injury) were pretty bad in their d-zone, and we only dressed 9 NHL-calibre forwards on any given night.

Well, they were this for sure for most of the season.
- Mr_Clean

Stone
Hoffman
Zbanejad
Turris

There are worse forward groups around the league

You guys have some good pieces....it's not all Ek.

Good tender
Good top 6

not too bad of D...

I just don't think a team should run everything through 1 D. IMO
- Garnie

Unfortunately, the system is designed to run through a Karlsson-style defenseman, and will pretty consistently be outshot and outplayed if they are unable to have a PMD control the puck like Karlsson can.

I think Phaneuf was supposed to help in that regard, and I think he can a little... He'll never be good defensively, but if the Sens can have a second pairing puck-moving option it'll make the system a bit more viable.

(Assuming we don't have a completely different system next season)

As mentioned elsewhere, the rest of the team is awful defensively. Even the vaunted Drew Doughty would have been a minus player on the Senators this year, playing 30 minutes a game with the defensive non-structure they had.

Top-6 forwards (asides from Stone and Turris before the injury) were pretty bad in their d-zone, and we only dressed 9 NHL-calibre forwards on any given night.
- Mr_Clean

I don't think so, Doughty plays D....Karlsson is headed for the other net regardless of the score or the situation. I realize LA is a much stronger team....but Corsi says all are equal...so I have to accept it as it's been proven by experts.

EK is 58th best in the league with D over 500 mins.

Stone
Hoffman
Zbanejad
Turris

There are worse forward groups around the league
- sbroads24

Stone was great for most of the year, admittedly.
Turris suffered a serious injury in early December and was either ineffective or out of the lineup the rest of the season
Hoffman is a great goal-scorer (probably helps Karlsson's offensive stats), very bad in his own end.
Zibby puts up points but he needs to be a lot better - he always seems to be getting cheap points from having good linemates. He sucks on the defensive side as well...

Stone was great for most of the year, admittedly.
Turris suffered a serious injury in early December and was either ineffective or out of the lineup the rest of the season
Hoffman is a great goal-scorer (probably helps Karlsson's offensive stats), very bad in his own end.
Zibby puts up points but he needs to be a lot better - he always seems to be getting cheap points from having good linemates. He sucks on the defensive side as well...
- Mr_Clean

I thought Zbanejad was supposed to be a solid two way player?

What's up with Lazar? Seems he isn't developing into much yet

I don't think so, Doughty plays D....Karlsson is headed for the other net regardless of the score or the situation. I realize LA is a much stronger team....but Corsi says all are equal...so I have to accept it as it's been proven by experts.

EK is 58th best in the league with D over 500 mins.
- Garnie

Yeah, but he would have still been minus because even if he played better D, he would produce less O... As you said, Karlsson scores a lot and gets scored on a lot. Karlsson can obviously have more influence on team scoring than team defence on a team with poor structure and poor defensive forwards. Trading Karlsson out for Doughty would mean trading out goals for for goals against... With negative results coming from the fact that the other four players would continue to play sub-par defence.

I thought Zbanejad was supposed to be a solid two way player?

What's up with Lazar? Seems he isn't developing into much yet
- sbroads24

He was supposed to be, but a lot of people don't think his conditioning is up to snuff. Bobby Ryan's problem as well...

As for Lazar, I think people had the wrong idea about his ceiling. He doesn't seem to have very much natural offensive instinct or ability at all... He will probably end up being a solid 3C, not what Sens fans had hoped the year after he was drafted, but not terribly out of line for a mid-1st round pick.

The blog started off with deep thoughts then crashed once i got to the Weeaboo Grimes and became KIA when BvS was mentioned.
- Glak18

Grimes is the best my good man. BvS also solid.

EK 51.5 cf% Doughty 58.9 cf %

That's miles apart and points are just luck

I don't get how you argue for Corsi like its life and death and then totally dismiss it in this case?
- Garnie

The best way to compare a player's possession stats is to compare their mark relative their own teams. In this case, Karlsson is way better than his team and Doughty is only slightly better.

Yes, always loved Grimes Art Angels really is my guilty pleasure of last year, great album with lots of addicting songs.
- DutchSenators

I'm sort of confused by the application of the term guilty pleasure. I wouldn't be ashamed to like one of the most interesting artists in existence.

Yet again, Doughty and Keith (arguably the most important individual players on their respective teams) are still playing. Sure there are other factors, including the talent that surrounds each.

Karlsson is an exciting player with a lot of skill. But there's an argument against elevating him to Bobby Orr status too.

So there's that.
- John Jaeckel

If Karlsson got to play on the deepest team in the NHL (like Doughty, who is one of two elite defensemen on his team) I would think his stats would be insane. What he does without any help is crazy. The more context you give Karlsson's achievements, the better they are.

Also, in the past four years, there are seven other defenseman who have scored more than doughty and limited more shots.

In the seventies people complained about too many teams blah, blah,blah
In the eighties it was too wide open, too high scoring blah, blah, blah
In the nineties too much hooking and holding blah, blah, blah
In the new millennium the trap and staged fighting blah, blah, blah
Now it's shot blocking, goalie equipment, players too big and fast blah, blah, blah

It reminds me of how each decade music changes and the past generation thinks their music was the best.

Just enjoy the hockey I say. It is and always was the greatest game ever.
- shack67

Well, you're not wrong. But at the same time, the game should always be evolving.

By the way, James, kinda agree with your minus to the Senators.

Not saying the Senators were doing horribly considering the constraints put upon them (budgetary), but I'm not sure rearranging the deck chairs is the answer.
- Mr_Clean

I just think this organization is more like the current Canucks regime than the current Leafs one, and that is bad.

Yea, that's a pretty bold statement. Considering he plays half the game, the other players must be pretty awful if they can't make the playoffs.

Logic tells me that if you are the best team in the league for 30 minutes a game, you must be the worst team or close to it for the other 30.
- sbroads24

They probably are the worst team when he's not on the ice. They are horrible.

If Karlsson got to play on the deepest team in the NHL (like Doughty, who is one of two elite defensemen on his team) I would think his stats would be insane. What he does without any help is crazy. The more context you give Karlsson's achievements, the better they are.

Also, in the past four years, there are seven other defenseman who have scored more than doughty and limited more shots.
- James_Tanner

They wouldn't play him 30 mins a game and run everything through him...they'd much rather win games

They wouldn't play him 30 mins a game and run everything through him...they'd much rather win games
- Garnie

I'm pretty sure Karlsson would still get 25 mins on any team in the league. And, with that ice time, would still have produced 70+ pts.