Confirmed with Link: Penguins hire Sam Ventura as Director of Hockey Research

[Jaded-Fan]

Too many teams and fans only use the eye test when evaluating players. For that reason teams over pay for players and overlook others. I invite you to view this clip from moneyball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBcwGOvO80

I have made the moneyball analogy before. And gotten blowback. Oh no! Hockey is much more complex than baseball. It can never be done!

Well it can be done and the Pens, among others, but the Pens at the leading edge, have done it. And what the Pens did that went further than others was to trust the analytics fully.

Some of us said before the Pens built a team they had to build an identity. Something that when you said 'Pens' hockey' everyone would know what you mean. The old Devils would trap you to death. Bruins were tough (and if you watch the clip when they decide to trade Seguin they actually say that he does not play 'Bruins' hockey). The Flyers identity is to goon it up and never win championships. But the Pens? Nothing.

The current version of the Pens is not the first analytics built team. But it by far has gone the furthest in its use. The numbers said to get fast and forget about balancing in 'character' tough guys. The Pens made a new definition of tough. Fast, skilled and disciplined.

And best of all they had a GM and coach who both bought into the new Pens. Completely.

 

[larueskee]

I have made the moneyball analogy before. And gotten blowback. Oh no! Hockey is much more complex than baseball. It can never be done!

Well it can be done and the Pens, among others, but the Pens at the leading edge, have done it. And what the Pens did that went further than others was to trust the analytics fully.

Some of us said before the Pens built a team they had to build an identity. Something that when you said 'Pens' hockey' everyone would know what you mean. The old Devils would trap you to death. Bruins were tough (and if you watch the clip when they decide to trade Seguin they actually say that he does not play 'Bruins' hockey). The Flyers identity is to goon it up and never win championships. But the Pens? Nothing.

The current version of the Pens is not the first analytics built team. But it by far has gone the furthest in its use. The numbers said to get fast and forget about balancing in 'character' tough guys. The Pens made a new definition of tough. Fast, skilled and disciplined.

And best of all they had a GM and coach who both bought into the new Pens. Completely.

So true. I hear the arguments on another board but stats are facts, there is no arguing them. Love what the Pens have done with it. Thing is that the players who have favored stats have them for a reason. I call it understanding the game.