That isn't remotely true. Matthews played against men as an 18 year old and may well end up that league's MVP.
- James_Tanner

T

You fail to acknowledge that Laine did the same thing in the Finnish men's league, won their championship and was the map of the playoffs as a 17 year old.

Both are great prospects who help each team immediately this coming year.

That's a fair point. This is something I always struggle with. My friends don't care who has the best Corsi. My sister-in-law's favorite player is Lupul. No one needs to care about stats at all, unless they're going to argue about a decision or who is better. Then it matters.

But I fully support the right of anyone to just dig their favorite team and players and be left alone to have fun - but that's just not how I'm going to approach the game.

I also wouldn't argue with people who view the game that way if they didn't take so much time out of their lives to tell me how stupid I am. Haha.
- James_Tanner

Its ok to turn your brain off and just enjoy watching the game. Sports are stressful enough if you are a die hard fan, lets not get add another reason to have an aneurysm if your team can't win even though they have great fancy stats.

T

You fail to acknowledge that Laine did the same thing in the Finnish men's league, won their championship and was the map of the playoffs as a 17 year old.

Both are great prospects who help each team immediately this coming year.
- JETSWIN

Edit.that should have been mvp

...in case you never noticed, I pretty much cover the whole league.
- James_Tanner

Not well......

I mostly agree with this blog, but JT you often ignore the fact the hockey is a very emotional and human game. Sometimes it's the little things that add up to becoming big things - things that people who never played the game don't know anything about or understand.

When a team is down in a game the players can let up - or forget basic positioning. That is why the existence of energy players is still relevant. I don't believe in dump and chase, that's an 80's and 90's thing. I prefer a puck possession game(no not firing pucks at nets willy-nilly) but keeping the puck, regrouping. If a D can't quite keep the puck in on the attacking blue line, his D partner will back towards his own blueline (backend support) to receive a pass and keep the puck. Hell, he might even take it all the way into his own zone for the regroup.

That said...if a coach notices that his team is down, losing motivation or focus he might instruct his energy players to dump it in and bang bodies. Big hits really pump a team up. This is a fact. But those same energy players shouldn't be dumping it all game long. Just when it really required.

That's just one example of how emotional and immeasurably aspects of the game are - the require a coach to act based on feeling.

I do believe that switching a goalie for the purpose of motivation the players doesn't really make sense - but if you have two great goalies and one of them gets in a losing funk(even when not his fault) it's not a terrible idea to switch it up.

T

You fail to acknowledge that Laine did the same thing in the Finnish men's league, won their championship and was the map of the playoffs as a 17 year old.

Both are great prospects who help each team immediately this coming year.
- JETSWIN

THey are both beasts indeed. I'll take Matthews. Jets won't be upset with Laine.

You can write whatever you want, saying Laine should be picked ahead of Matthews is one of the dumbest things ever.
- James_Tanner

I didn't say that. Don't put words into people's mouths and call it the "one of the dumbest things ever" to say.

I just said Laine had a better season. Which you said isn't remotely true. Matthews is the Center; Laine did far better when they played in the same tournaments.

You're just in love with the idea of a generational player. Watch them both play and think for yourself. Hype isn't everything.

Not well......
- bcallaway

THey are both beasts indeed. I'll take Matthews. Jets won't be upset with Laine.
- Njuice

And the jackets will be thrilled with puljujarvi. That kids gonna be a great 2 way player

I mostly agree with this blog, but JT you often ignore the fact the hockey is a very emotional and human game. Sometimes it's the little things that add up to becoming big things - things that people who never played the game don't know anything about or understand.

When a team is down in a game the players can let up - or forget basic positioning. That is why the existence of energy players is still relevant. I don't believe in dump and chase, that's an 80's and 90's thing. I prefer a puck possession game(no not firing pucks at nets willy-nilly) but keeping the puck, regrouping. If a D can't quite keep the puck in on the attacking blue line, his D partner will back towards his own blueline (backend support) to receive a pass and keep the puck. Hell, he might even take it all the way into his own zone for the regroup.

That said...if a coach notices that his team is down, losing motivation or focus he might instruct his energy players to dump it in and bang bodies. Big hits really pump a team up. This is a fact. But those same energy players shouldn't be dumping it all game long. Just when it really required.

That's just one example of how emotional and immeasurably aspects of the game are - the require a coach to act based on feeling.

I do believe that switching a goalie for the purpose of motivation the players doesn't really make sense - but if you have two great goalies and one of them gets in a losing funk(even when not his fault) it's not a terrible idea to switch it up.
- Njuice

A good point. Few things that can be argued about have the truth all the way to one extreme. A good coach will certainty have a feeling for the game and know when to make these kinds of nonstatistical feeling based moves. As weve seen though, todays best coaches (babcock sutter quenville budreau and hitchcock) all adjusted their styles to incorporate data driven analysis but maintain some decidedly old school thinking . Likely this is no accident and i think most stat based writers /analysts know this, which is why none of them think they could replace those guys.

And just because i try to question old-school thinking or fjnd new ways to look at player evals doesnt mean i dont think or beleive those other things, they just arent conductive offering a lot of reasoning behind your thoughts.

I didn't say that. Don't put words into people's mouths and call it the "one of the dumbest things ever" to say.

I just said Laine had a better season. Which you said isn't remotely true. Matthews is the Center; Laine did far better when they played in the same tournaments.

You're just in love with the idea of a generational player. Watch them both play and think for yourself. Hype isn't everything.
- fry

One thing that's is constantly overlooked is the fact that Matthews was 2 days away from being in last years draft. Would people be talking about how impressive he season was if he was in his draft +1 year?

Call me a nerd, but it is considered the best stat for judging a goalie.
- James_Tanner

According to who?

The stat you referenced is not an exact science because it makes judgments on which shots are high danger.

Is the state you reference relying on location only to determine high danger? that would be an error imho. If not, people are deciding what is "high danger" which makes it subjective and prone to inconsistencies.

Example, I think it was game 1 of the WCF, I went back and checked my count of HSCF versus what war on ice had and we didn't agree. Of course we were closer than my count of giveaway and takeaways as compared to the NHL official stats.

Sometimes, it's not logic that influences a coaches mind, but rather the aspect of that gut feeling, that token chance.

That is what makes Hockey so great. Stats are useful in acknowledging scenarios and helping out a coach make decisions, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the what the mind prefers.

This is what distinguishes us from robots; the element and conscience of the human mind.

One thing that's is constantly overlooked is the fact that Matthews was 2 days away from being in last years draft. Would people be talking about how impressive he season was if he was in his draft +1 year?
- kessellover69

Probably. He scored the same amount of points as McDavid in this tourney and he led his team in scoring. He scored way more points than lazy Eichel who didn't even play.

He's incredible and would've been taken 2nd or 3rd overall last season and been in the NHL. It's hard to compare Matthews and Eichel because NCAA and Swiss A are two different leagues.

But 2 yrs before draft Matthews numbers in the US development program were way better than Eichel's and in fact he beat Patty Kane's record for most points ever in a season. Those are some impressive feats.

Its ok to turn your brain off and just enjoy watching the game. Sports are stressful enough if you are a die hard fan, lets not get add another reason to have an aneurysm if your team can't win even though they have great fancy stats.
- DDM-Coga

Can't we just enjoy the Calder battle next year between Laine, Matthews and whoever an upstart 3rd rookie candidate might be? I'm looking forward to seeing Laine and Matthews play.

Probably. He scored the same amount of points as McDavid in this tourney and he led his team in scoring. He scored way more points than lazy Eichel who didn't even play.

He's incredible and would've been taken 2nd or 3rd overall last season and been in the NHL. It's hard to compare Matthews and Eichel because NCAA and Swiss A are two different leagues.

But 2 yrs before draft Matthews numbers in the US development program were way better than Eichel's and in fact he beat Patty Kane's record for most points ever in a season. Those are some impressive feats.
- Njuice

But using this tourney as a real measuring stick makes no sense. There were really only three teams in the tourney, the Russians, Fins and Canada. Okay..one team. And the USA picking it up where there hodge-podge assembly of NCAA'ers. They picked it up on Matthews' back. He was the main reason they even made it to the semi's and one of the main reasons thy gave Canada a run for the money.

One thing that's is constantly overlooked is the fact that Matthews was 2 days away from being in last years draft. Would people be talking about how impressive he season was if he was in his draft +1 year?
- kessellover69

By Acknowledging your perspective, think about it this way. Matthews has had one entire year to develop FOR FREE and if you draft him now, you would still get a 3 year ELC out of him.

In other words, whoever drafts him will technically be getting a 4 year development ELC at the price of three, hence you're "TECHNICALLY" drafting a Draft +1 year Matthews that would be considered a rookie.

Probably. He scored the same amount of points as McDavid in this tourney and he led his team in scoring. He scored way more points than lazy Eichel who didn't even play.

He's incredible and would've been taken 2nd or 3rd overall last season and been in the NHL. It's hard to compare Matthews and Eichel because NCAA and Swiss A are two different leagues.

But 2 yrs before draft Matthews numbers in the US development program were way better than Eichel's and in fact he beat Patty Kane's record for most points ever in a season. Those are some impressive feats.
- Njuice

How were they WAY better? Matthews had 3 more assists than eichel and Matthews was the oldest player in the league.

Can't we just enjoy the Calder battle next year between Laine, Matthews and whoever an upstart 3rd rookie candidate might be? I'm looking forward to seeing Laine and Matthews play.
- Jason Millen

Matthews
Laine
Nylander
Connor Brown
Connor Carrick
Mitch Marner....

okay I might be a bit biased but the Leafs will score a ton of goals next year - and let in a ton of goals as we'll have between 6-10 rookies on one roster.

According to who?

The stat you referenced is not an exact science because it makes judgments on which shots are high danger.

Is the state you reference relying on location only to determine high danger? that would be an error imho. If not, people are deciding what is "high danger" which makes it subjective and prone to inconsistencies.

Example, I think it was game 1 of the WCF, I went back and checked my count of HSCF versus what war on ice had and we didn't agree. Of course we were closer than my count of giveaway and takeaways as compared to the NHL official stats.
- Jason Millen

It's simply another case of a "best stat we have available" situation. A shot where the goalie is unscreened, and is out and square to the shooter, from a location that is deemed in the high danger zone, is not as dangerous as a cross ice pass to a player outside of that zone, with the goaltender out of position, and having to move side to side.

Sometimes, it's not logic that influences a coaches mind, but rather the aspect of that gut feeling, that token chance.

That is what makes Hockey so great. Stats are useful in acknowledging scenarios and helping out a coach make decisions, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the what the mind prefers.

This is what distinguishes us from robots; the element and conscience of the human mind.
- EdmHockeyMan

That's not critical thinking!

By Acknowledging your perspective, think about it this way. Matthews has had one entire year to develop FOR FREE and if you draft him now, you would still get a 3 year ELC out of him.

In other words, whoever drafts him will technically be getting a 4 year development ELC at the price of three, hence you're "TECHNICALLY" drafting a Draft +1 year Matthews that would be considered a rookie.
- EdmHockeyMan

I completely agree with that. I'm not trying to argue Laine over Matthews at number one. It's obvious Matthews is the right pick for the leafs. But I'm questioning if the extra year of Development overhypes him a bit?

It's simply another case of a "best stat we have available" situation. A shot where the goalie is unscreened, and is out and square to the shooter, from a location that is deemed in the high danger zone, is not as dangerous as a cross ice pass to a player outside of that zone, with the goaltender out of position, and having to move side to side.
- MJL

Right. And as a result, it isn't an end all be all stat. Add to yours...did the goalie put himself out of position, did the passing put him out of position, did poor play of his teammates, etc.

Similarly, I would argue that the same exact saves should not be weighted the same in all circumstances. Simple example, high quality save made late in a +/- 1 goal game is more valuable than one made in a -5 or +5 game.

For some things, advanced stats really have to be detailed and personal to be valuable imho but that is a very long discussion.

You real lying that Elliott was the best goalie this season? His save percentage was higher than Bishop's but Bishop played 19 more games. Do games played not factor into ranking goalies seasons?

How were they WAY better? Matthews had 3 more assists than eichel and Matthews was the oldest player in the league.
- kessellover69

Auston Matthews 2014-2015
60GP 55G 62A 117P

Jack Eichel 2014-2015
53GP 38G 49A 87P

Your math is funny to me. I'm talking about their respective seasons before the draft eligible season. This is direct from the USA NTDP site.