Communication Breakdown
It's always the same.
This week’s waiver wire article is on The Athletic here.
I’ll start with an opening diatribe.
I saw this move when it was announced and don’t have a problem with the position. Essentially Stempniak acts as a translator of sorts to explain insights from the team’s analytics department to the players and coaching staff.
Seems like an entirely reasonable idea. My issue is that, if this is a good idea now, what have they been waiting for? Modern hockey stats started in 2007 and the Summer of Analytics was 2014. Now, in 2021, it seems like a good idea to have someone explain this information to “the hockey people”? The implication is not great for what has been happening with respect to hockey analytics in the past decade or so.
This also hit home because Elliotte Friedman mentioned on The 31 Thoughts Podcast that hockey broadcasts could use someone in that role, too, because their attempts at incorporating hockey analytics on broadcasts were not well received by audiences.
I’ve watched a lot of hockey for a long time and I will agree that I haven’t seen many compelling hockey analytics segments on television but that’s the wrong starting point for the discussion.
Fans are not supposed to tune in to watch a segment because it is about hockey analytics. They tune in to be informed and entertained and there is no reason that analytics can’t be the foundation for better analysis on television just like it is for hockey teams. I mean, this is part of the reason that Mike Johnson is my preferred color commentator. He does not rail on about Corsi and expected goals but he knows and understands those concepts so it informs his analysis.
The value, as I see it, of using analytics is that it serves as a great b.s. detector and, in my experience, television broadcasts that require player access for interviews and the like are not necessarily that interested in dispelling myths.
I mean, in the year 2021, there is still always someone to take to the air to tell viewers how valuable the hockey fight was for one specific side. There are not nearly as many analysts taking to the air to say, “Yes, this player is a star but we arrived at the conclusion that he was a star four years ago when his team outscored opponents by 27 goals while controlling shot share at evens. That calculation is different when his team allows as many shots and goals as it counts when he is on the ice.” It’s not fun to tell that story.
It does not mean the player isn’t still a star but it can help differentiate why he isn’t necessarily winning the Hart Trophy every year. It can also be used to explain why that defenseman who has had an outstanding career is not “due” to win the Norris Trophy in a particular season. There is real analysis to be done and it can be informative and entertaining if those telling the stories are interested in telling those stories honestly.
I am sure there is a lot to learn if you have the right person providing analytics insights. Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon was on Craig Custance’s Full 60 Podcast recently and had this to say about Eric Tulsky, the team’s Vice President of Hockey Analysis and Strategy:
“The business that I’ve been in most of my life,” said Dundon, “We had hundreds of people in what we call ‘decision science’. Call it analytics or whatever it is, and I never had anyone close to as smart as this guy.” Does he help the Carolina Hurricanes’ decision-making process? Undoubtedly. Could a smart person help TV networks provide smarter analysis? Of course, but only if they are genuinely interested in that.
If they aren’t, they can show player skating speed or a graphic of “home plate shots” in a game and use that as the measuring stick for analytics as hockey content but television viewers have been conditioned, for decades, to believe that the ex-player is the only one with real insight into the game and while there are occasions when that is true, especially in micro analysis – explaining what is happening in a specific situation – big picture analysis is rarely the strength of ex-players because it was not part of the skill set required to be great in the sport.
That brings this full circle to Stempniak, who seems like a bright guy and he had a long NHL career which gives him instant credibility. He might be an ex-player who can help bridge the communication gap for the Coyotes. That there is still a communication gap to be bridged this far along in the process is the problem that sticks with me.
SUNDAY STARS
WSH LW Alex Ovechkin 2 G, 2 A in a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia.
WSH RW Tom Wilson 1 G, 3 A in a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia.
CAR C Jordan Staal 1 G, 2 A in a 6-5 win at Columbus.
DET G Thomas Greiss had 36 saves on 37 shots in a 4-1 win at Florida.
SUNDAY GAMES
Philadelphia 7 Washington 4
WSH LW Alex Ovechkin 2 G, 2 A (5 G, 5 A in past 6 GP)
WSH RW Tom Wilson 1 G, 3 A (5 G, 7 A in 10 GP)
WSH C Nicklas Backstrom 1 G, 2 A (6 G, 11 A in 12 GP)
PHI C Scott Laughton 3 G (4 G, 2 A in past 5 GP)
PHI RW Joel Farabee 3 A (6 G, 6 A in 13 GP)
PHI C Sean Couturier 2 G, 1 A (2 G, 2 A in 3 GP)
PHI LW James van Riesmsdyk 1 G, 1 A (6 G, 9 A in past 9 GP)
Washington D Brenden Dillon, LW Daniel Carr, C Lars Eller, and RW Richard Panik were on the ice for three goals against during 5-on-5 play.
Flyers RW Joel Farabee was on the ice for four goals for and one against.
Detroit 4 Florida 1
DET RW Givani Smith 1 G, 1 A (1 G, 3 A in 6 GP)
DET D Troy Stecher 2 A
DET G Thomas Greiss had 36 saves on 37 shots to earn his first win as a Red Wing.
Carolina 6 Columbus 5
CBJ RW Patrik Laine 2 G (5 G, 1 A in 4 GP)
CBJ LW Nick Foligno 1 G, 1 A (his 200th career goal)
CBJ C Jack Roslovic 2 A (1 G, 5 A during a 4-game point streak)
CBJ D David Savard 2 A
CBJ D Seth Jones 2 A (1 G, 3 A in past 3 GP)
CAR C Jordan Staal 1 G, 2 A (2 G, 7 A in 7 GP)
CAR D Brett Pesce 1 G, 1 A (1 G, 4 A during a 4-game point streak)
CAR D Dougie Hamilton 1 G, 1 A (1 G, 7 A in past 8 GP)
CAR C Vincent Trocheck 1 G, 1 A (6 G, 3 A in 9 GP)
CAR LW Ryan Dzingel 2 A
CBJ C Liam Foudy was on the ice for three goals against during 5-on-5 play.
CAR D Brett Pesce was on the ice for three goals for during 5-on-5 play.
Chicago 2 Dallas 1 (OT)
CHI RW Alex DeBrincat 2 G (4 G, 5 A during a 5-game point streak)
CHI RW Patrick Kane 2 A (3 G, 7 A during a 5-game point streak)
CHI G Malcolm Subban stopped 30 of 31 shots for the victory.
DAL G Jake Oettinger turned aside 33 of 35 shots in the loss.
Los Angeles 3 Vegas 4
VGK C Chandler Stephenson 2 G
VGK RW Alex Tuch 2 A (1 G, 5 A in past 6 GP)
SUNDAY SHOTS/EXPECTED GOALS (Via Natural Stat Trick)
MONDAY GAME PROBABILITIES
MONDAY DFS VALUE PLAYS
Skaters under $5000 on DraftKings
CAR C Jordan Staal $4300 at CBJ
CBJ C Jack Roslovic $3300 vs. CAR
EDM RW Kailer Yamamoto $4800 at OTT
ARZ LW Clayton Keller $4300 at STL
ARZ RW Phil Kessel $4200 at STL
NYI Noah Dobson $4300 at NYR
CBJ Seth Jones $4500 vs. CAR