Thanks Whileee.
Here's the exact quote from the results section, regarding ice-time and injury:
... and the same is said for defensemen as forwards.
So yes, you are right that the effect size was small. But it was also the most significant variable. So, like, more important than anything else. This is, to me, the intuitive result. The more time spent doing something that might injure you, the more likely you might get injured.
The "trade-off" of having Perreault play more ice time, as you mention above, is a more complex issue. It would be tricky to study, because there are so many factors that are specific to the player and the team. Let's assume the Jets win more games with Perreault playing more minutes (reasonable, although counter-arguments could be made). While the Jets remain comfortably above the playoff line, how much do those extra points matter? I guess you'd have to look at your chances of clinching home advantage, as well as how you match up against the other teams in the shifting standings of the Central division. There certainly might be some advantage to be gained there, but it's tough to quantify. On the other hand, I think it can be said with near certainty that a healthy Perreault will help the Jets in the playoffs. So maximizing the chance of a healthy Perreault is unconditionally good, examined in and of itself.
On top of all that, there's a myriad of other Jets-specific factors to consider. Lowry and Perreault seem to be main drivers of our bottom 6 forwards. What impact would it have on the team to move Perreault back into the top 6? It was not long ago when our secondary scoring was considered a major problem for the team. Moving Perreault could also put an even heavier burden on our top lines, as our 4th line becomes much less trustworthy on the ice without him.
All of this isn't to advocate that Perreault should be on the 4th line. It's just to say that it's a more complex issue than some here seem willing to acknowledge in their posts.
