I had time for analytics a few years ago when it started gaining popularity, but I really do think they're ruining fans perspectives.
I'm so sick of seeing WAR charts every single time a signing has been made.
Player discussion was so much more thought provoking and interactive back when we all watched the games and evaluated what we saw. It's impossible to make player assessments and have opinions now without someone challenging it with analytic numbers.
Analytics have become a handy too but so much is out into expected numbers or how results should be with the player on the ice, rather than the actual results.
Like I believe Nurse is better than his analytic numbers but still overpaid...but not by a massive amount.
The analytics had Jones and Bear as great defensemen but if you matched it up to the tape, usage etc it paints a very different picture.
Analytics is a very handy tool and when used well can be very very useful. But WAR charts and all that tend to completely take situations out of things and call it a day.
Like take Warren Foegele for example. You look at him and his most common center was Jordan Staal. It would (as I did) would be easy to assume that Foegele is good but Staal elevated him. But if you look into the analytics,in a non small amount of time Foegele was actually better away from Staal than Staal was away from Foegele showing that they mutually elevated eachother and Foegele definitely brings more than expected.
Imho the NHL is a results based business. Goals for/Goals against are all that matters. If a player consistently has bad "expected" numbers then analytics guys say they are bad and overrated... But some guys CONSTANTLY outperform those numbers or under perform. Showing something that analytics doesn't. Raw talent.
Tyson Barrie is a guy who pretty often outperforms his expected numbers. Why? Because he is a skilled player. Give him the same shot and chance as you give most other defenders, more often than not he succeeds where others don't. Analytics really doesn't reflect that yet.
TLDR: Analytics is a strong tool, "analytics" guys use it as the be all end all and that it tells you everything about a player.