FanPost

Eric Staal By The Numbers

Eric Staal is a good offensive player and not good defensively.

I know the narrative on Canes Country is that Eric Staal is having an off year, and that his knee injury is the cause. Actually, by the numbers, this looks like a pretty typical year for Eric.

I would also say that goal-based metrics have wider confidence intervals than Corsi/Fenwick, but when you have 7 seasons that all show the same thing, it's meaningful.

Offense - Goals


Looking at Goals For (GF) with Eric on the ice (GF On) or not (GF Off). Both are normalized to per 60 minutes of 5v5 time.

Year

GP

TOI/60

TOF/60

GFON/60

GFOFF/60

GFNet/60

2007

82

15.03

28.83

3.31

2.39

0.92

2008

82

14.53

31.06

3.12

1.91

1.21

2009

70

14.89

31.48

3.57

1.96

1.61

2010

81

15.17

31.40

2.98

2.24

0.74

2011

82

15.72

32.60

2.65

1.93

0.72

2012

48

15.63

32.52

4.16

1.69

2.47

Average

15.16

31.32

3.30

2.02

1.28



The short season last year inflates his numbers. Without it, the Net average is 1.04. This season, GF On/60 is 3.00 GF Off is 1.80 and Net is 1.16.

Average for GF On/60 tends to be around 2.3-2.4. Top offensive players are usually up above 3.50. Of players with at least 20 games, Jamie Benn leads the league at 4.15. Eric is number 76.

Defense - Goals

Year

GP

TOI/60

TOF/60

GAON/60

GAOFF/60

GANet/60

2007

82

15.03

28.83

2.97

2.23

-0.74

2008

82

14.53

31.06

2.57

2.29

-0.28

2009

70

14.89

31.48

3.17

2.59

-0.58

2010

81

15.17

31.40

3.22

2.26

-0.96

2011

82

15.72

32.60

3.45

2.18

-1.27

2012

48

15.63

32.52

3.28

2.65

-0.63

Average

15.16

31.32

3.11

2.37

-0.74



Without the short season the average is -0.77. This season GA On/60 is 3.00 GA Off is 2.05 and Net is -0.85.

Average for GA On/60 of course also tends to be around 2.3-2.4. Top defensive players are usually below above 1.80. For example, Chara is 1.66, Patrice Bergeron is 1.68. On the other hand, Milan Michalek is at 4.18. Staal is 107 from the bottom or 545 from the top.