On the Calgary Flames and Dougie Hamilton …
Over the last few days several mainstream media members have suggested the Calgary Flames may be listening to offers for 23-year-old defenseman Dougie Hamilton.
This doesn’t come as a surprise because, for whatever reason, the team’s coaching staff, both this season and last, has never really embraced Hamilton and given him a steady dose of minutes. Instead, he has often been under-utilized and whenever he has made a mistake, his minutes have been cut.
As such, there’s a running narrative out there that would have you believe Hamilton has struggled as a Flame and/or isn’t a fit with the team. In reality that is not the case.
To date Hamilton has 14 goals, 49 points and 237 shots in 100 games as a Flame. That is excellent production, especially considering he hasn’t been given as many minutes as some of the NHL’s other high-end point producers.
His underlying numbers have been pretty good, too. The Flames have controlled a hair under 50% of the shot attempts with him on the ice during five-on-five play as opposed to 47.7% without him.
In today’s NHL top-four defensemen are hard to come by – even more so when they are young and locked up long-term. That’s why the Flames would be smart to hold onto him.
On the Arizona Coytoes …
If you had the Arizona Coyotes penciled in for last place heading into the season, you have to be feeling pretty good about your chances.
Despite adding the likes of Radim Vrbata, Jamie McGinn, Alex Goligoski and Luke Schenn, as well as promoting several top prospects, the Coyotes have gotten off to a disastrous start to the season – and deservedly so.
As it stands they have five wins in 15 games and their underlying numbers have been horrific.
At 5 v 5 the Coyotes are controlling ~45.7% of the shot attempts, which is good for last in the league. Their scoring chance numbers are even worse as they are getting a 42% share of the scoring chances and just 36% of the high-danger looks. Both of which put them last place by a country mile.
Some expected the Coyotes to be competitive this season, but it looks like the only thing they’ll be competing for is last place in the NHL.
The good news for Coyotes fans is they have a very deep pool of prospects coming up and a sharp mind in John Chayka at the helm. There is light at the end of the tunnel; it’ll just take some time to get there.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)