Hamilton playing at an elite level for the Flames
Dating back to the summer, there were reports the Calgary Flames were at least considering the possibility of trading Dougie Hamilton.
Those rumors picked up considerably when the Flames got off to a slow start and were seemingly open to making some changes.
The Flames decided against moving Hamilton — at least for now — and they are reaping the rewards as he has not only been one of best players on the team but in the NHL.
In terms of raw counting totals, he has registered a solid 18 points and 98 shots in 34 games despite (inexcusably) seeing limited ice at times throughout the first chunk of the season.
If you adjust for usage and look at his production on a per 60-minute basis, it’s easy to see he is playing remarkably well.
As it stands, 167 defensemen have played at least 300 5v5 minutes. Among them, Hamilton ranks 2nd in goals per 60, 2nd in points per 60 and 2nd in shots per 60. Brent Burns, who is incredibly on pace for more than 30 goals, is the only blueliner ahead of Hamilton in those categories.
On top of producing at a high rate, Hamilton has also been a very good play driver.
At 5v5, the Flames control 53.6% of the shot attempts with Hamilton on the ice. Without Hamilton, that number drops to 47%. Hamilton’s CF% Relative to the team of +6.6% ranks him 4th among the 167 defensemen to play at least 300 minutes at 5v5.
Hamilton is 23, locked up long-term and is playing at a top-pairing level by almost every objective measurement. The Flames would be smart to keep him around.
Panthers playing better under Rowe than their record suggests
Many were quick to criticize the Florida Panthers when they elected to make a coaching change and fired Gerard Gallant.
The skeptics have grown even louder with the Panthers winning just three of their first 11 games under new head coach Tom Rowe.
While their record suggests they are playing very poorly, that isn’t necessarily the case.
Over the last 11 games, the Panthers have controlled 55.45% of the shot attempts, 54.4% of the shots, and have an expected goals for% above 50. Despite controlling play on a routine basis, the Panthers have been outscored 21-11 (34.3 Goals For%) at 5v5 since making the switch behind the bench.
One big reason for that? Luck simply hasn’t been on their side. The Panthers have scored on ~4% of their 5v5 shots, their goaltenders have combined for a .907 save percentage and they have a PDO (shooting percentage + save percentage) of 94.8.
For comparison sake, the tanking Toronto Maple Leafs had the league’s worst 5v5 SH% last season and still scored on 6.6% of their shots. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames were the only team in the league to have a 5v5 save percentage worse than .914. As bad as both totals are, the 30th SH% and 29th SV% still combine for a PDO of 98.0, which is far better than what the Panthers have had under Rowe.
Unless Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr, and co. forgot how to shoot pucks, and Roberto Luongo has turned into the worst goaltender in the league, the Panthers are due for a spike in both shooting percentage and save percentage.
When that happens the wins will follow, especially if they continue to outplay the opposition on a nightly basis.
Note: data via NaturalStatTrick and Corsica.Hockey.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)