Canucks Team Speed

[JamesB]

The Canucks have often been described as a "slow" team in recent years. And we read about various players being "fast" or "slow". But it has always been hard to get real information about player speed -- until now. The new NHL Edge tool is great as it provides actual measurements of in-game speed. The information is maybe a bit surprising.

 

1. The key point is that Vancouver is a fast team, not a slow team.

 

2. I just used the data on the fastest measured speed for each player.  NHL Edge shows the percentile ranking for each position category (forwards and defence) and has a diagram that shows the actual percentile. The actual measured top speed and the league average for that position are also shown. 

 

3. Forwards first. So far, exactly 439 guys have played a forward position in the NHL this year -- about 14 per team. The top 10% consists of 44 guys. That comes to about 1.4 guys per team. You would expect each team to have 1 or 2 guys in the top 10% --  at the 90th percentile or above.

 

4. The Canucks have the following forwards at the 90th percentile or above: PDG (93), Mikheyev (92), Lafferty (92), and Miller! (92). I have not checked all the teams but it is unlikely that any other team has 4 guys above the 90th percentile (i.e. in the top 10%). And Garland is close (85th percentile).

 

5. The following guys are also well above the median: Hoglander, Beuavilier, Petey, and Studnika.

 

6. That means that 9 of the 13 forwards are what you would call "fast" and four of them are "very fast".

 

7. The following guys are pretty slow: Kuzmenko, Suter, Boeser, and Joshua. No forward could be called "really slow". Boeser is still slow, but faster than he was last  year.

 

8. As for the D, Hughes is fast, Friedman is fast, Hronek and Myers are pretty much average. Cole and Soucy are quite slow (about the 25th percentile), so not really slow. Overall, the D would close to the median overall or maybe slightly below. 

 

Bottom line: The Canucks have to be one of the faster teams in the league. Miller is surprisingly fast. And we can see why PDG gets in on the forecheck so fast.

 

Of course, skating speed is only one of many factors. And edge control is probably more important than top speed (and Hughes may be the best in the league on that skill). But the Canucks should be fast enough to put a lot of pressure on opposing defences (as we have seen in recent games). Maybe not when they are tired after an emotional game and a long flight covering a couple of time zones, as happened in Philly, but most of the time.

 

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

I'm less concerned about players skating quickly, but rather playing quickly.

 

Seen too many players come across this organization who had great wheels, skated like the wind, but the speed didn't lead to anything. This old adage i've heard from play by play guys saying "skate quick but doing a whole lot of nothing".

 

I think you can still play a "fast" game if you process the game quickly, get to the correct spots on the ice in a timely fashion, and move the puck around quickly. If you move the puck, get to places for your teammates to work off you consistently, then the game appears quicker. Brendan Batchelor made a good point on sportsnet 650 today was that the Canucks are getting to spots and better able to predict where their next move is. So teammates are able to trust you to make the right read and get to the next spot quickly to make the next play which is what is making this team look a lot more quicker - he cited Di Giuseppe, Miller, and Boeser show casing that a lot. They know where each is going to be due to proper structure and trust that their linemate will go where they should go/be when they make the next pass/breakout play.

[Hogs and Podz]

4 new additions either just this season or last potion of the last.  That's 1/3 change over of slower players to faster.  That confirms the eye test that they appear to be a quicker team... But to crazy 4 point... With the team system in place the players know where to be because they're playing within structure, which helps them play even quicker with confidence.  Right before our eyes... Within one season, we've gone from a below average bottom 3rd skating team to top 3rd... Fair to say?

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Hogs and Podz

[JamesB]

36 minutes ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said:

I'm less concerned about players skating quickly, but rather playing quickly.

 

Seen too many players come across this organization who had great wheels, skated like the wind, but the speed didn't lead to anything. This old adage i've heard from play by play guys saying "skate quick but doing a whole lot of nothing".

 

I think you can still play a "fast" game if you process the game quickly, get to the correct spots on the ice in a timely fashion, and move the puck around quickly. If you move the puck, get to places for your teammates to work off you consistently, then the game appears quicker. Brendan Batchelor made a good point on sportsnet 650 today was that the Canucks are getting to spots and better able to predict where their next move is. So teammates are able to trust you to make the right read and get to the next spot quickly to make the next play which is what is making this team look a lot more quicker - he cited Di Giuseppe, Miller, and Boeser show casing that a lot. They know where each is going to be due to proper structure and trust that their linemate will go where they should go/be when they make the next pass/breakout play.

Absolutely right. We have seen plenty of players in the NHL who are very fast but don't do much. So speed has to be combined with knowing what to do with that speed. And that is where coaching (and structure) come in. But if you know what you are doing, more speed is always a plus. 

[JamesB]

11 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

4 new additions either just this season or last potion of the last.  That's 1/3 change over of slower players to faster.  That confirms the eye test that they appear to be a quicker team... But to crazy 4 point... With the team system in place the players know where to be because they're playing within structure, which helps them play even quicker with confidence.  Right before our eyes... Within one season, we've gone from a below average bottom 3rd skating team to top 3rd... Fair to say?

 

Agree completely. Adding guys like Lafferty and Friedman have increased team speed "under the radar".

 

And knowing what to do helps players process the game quickly, increasing the team's pace of play even without increasing actual skating speed.

 

And I think it is right that they have gone from bottom third to top third in team skating. (Having a "big summer" certainly helped guys like Studnicka, Boeser, Miller and other guys as well.)

 

I like what management has done and I like what Tocchet has done. And I like that they are on the same page (as is Jeremy Colliton in Abby).

 

[Hogs and Podz]

6 minutes ago, JamesB said:

Agree completely. Adding guys like Lafferty and Friedman have increased team speed "under the radar".

 

And knowing what to do helps players process the game quickly, increasing the team's pace of play even without increasing actual skating speed.

 

And I think it is right that they have gone from bottom third to top third in team skating. (Having a "big summer" certainly helped guys like Studnicka, Boeser, Miller and other guys as well.)

 

I like what management has done and I like what Tocchet has done. And I like that they are on the same page (as is Jeremy Colliton in Abby).

 

Which makes a much more enjoyable product on ice to cheer for.  Appreciate you highlighting this topic JB.

[Huggy Bear]

Great post. Thanks @JamesB! Like how you broke down your application of the stats, and the logic makes sense. 
 

interesting that it’s many of the newly added, complimentary checking forwards that are so fast, plus Friedman
 

Listening to Riccio right now stating Cole - Friedman have been spectacular so far together, with 61.9% Corsi, 3 GF , 0 GA.  They are second in he league to Hughes Hronek in this regard  

 

Clearly Friedman’s fast skating compliments Cole very well, albeit in a small sample size. Also matches the eye test.
 

Pro scouting has been outstanding so far, and all the added speed seems to be contributing to the improved product on the ice.

[Crimson JH]

2 hours ago, JamesB said:

Absolutely right. We have seen plenty of players in the NHL who are very fast but don't do much. So speed has to be combined with knowing what to do with that speed. And that is where coaching (and structure) come in. But if you know what you are doing, more speed is always a plus. 

One player come to mind to this is… Mason Raymond… Fast skater, weak puckhandling and finishing, and always fall down in the corners. 

[DownUndaCanuck]

It's not just about speed, but how you forecheck and use it. PDG doesn't strike me as the fastest player but he goes into places that makes it really difficult for opponents, crashes and bangs and frees up loose pucks for his linemates. Mikheyev and Garland are also quick, but decent forecheckers. We're using our speed within our structure of forechecking which is why it's so effective.

I think props to our scouting for picking up very good depth/fringe AHLers lately. Lafferty was an absolute bargain. Friedman has looked great next to Cole so far (albeit in a small bunch of games) and really released Myers this way too. We're yet to even see Blueger's effect.

 

When you watch the really solid teams like Carolina in their prime or Vegas right now, they're fast but really hard to get through though. They skate well and stand you up really well and I think that's what we're trying to do - our forwards skate well but our defence are standing up well and slowing other team's speed down.

[Maniwaki Canuck]

It's speed plus the systems and style of play that highlight speed:  gap control and stepping up on defense to create a quick transition game, which relies on forwards backchecking, disrupting play and providing puck support after a turnover.  Getting in on the forecheck definitely helps, but a quick reversal of play is more dangerous and we've been really good at that this year. 

[IBatch]

8 hours ago, Crimson JH said:

One player come to mind to this is… Mason Raymond… Fast skater, weak puckhandling and finishing, and always fall down in the corners. 

This need for speed - he's the go to guy.   Other things matter.   If speed was the only thing, Hedican would be in the HHOF, as would Raymond, as would Hagelin and so many others.