scoring data from another league, like in Europe, U.S. College for the Canadian Major Juniors. It is calculated by multiplying a player's scoring totals from another league by a translation factor that's based on those who previously moved from that league to the NHL. Various factors, including age for example, can also be taken into account. It's a nifty way to get a good idea of what to expect from a player coming to the NHL.
Goaltending
What about goalies? We'll be covering goaltenders in more detail in an upcoming issue, but briefly they're typically judged exclusively by their even-strength save percentage. It's not entirely helpful to include special teams play, since how many penalties a team takes and how effectively they kill penalties is largely outside a goaltender's control. These are also awfully small sample sizes, relative to five-on-five situations.
The only other popular goalie statistic is Quality Starts. Borrowed from baseball, it's meant to replace wins as an estimate of when a goalie players well enough for his team to win, independent of their offense, or how many shots they allow. More on that next time.
Closing Thoughts
Statistical analysis has made its way into everything from sports, business and politics. The expanded ability to record, manipulate and access data using modern technology has radically improved the reliability and availability of this type of information. The key to taking advantage of these great developments in hockey analytics is to get a firm grasp of the key concepts, and the language used to express them.
For more information, pick up a copy of my latest book Rob Vollman's Hockey Abstract, which explores the mainstream applications and limitations of hockey analytics in more detail. ◉
Rob Vollman is known for Player Usage Charts and his work for ESPN Insider. He is a founding Hockey Prospectus writer and has since co-authored the four annual Hockey Prospectus guides, and authored his own Rob Vollman's Hockey Abstract which can be found on Amazon.com.
Follow him on twitter: @robvollmanNHL