About Last Season: Ryan Dzingel Performance Review and Grade

Ryan Dzingel 2019-20 By The Numbers

• Age: 28
• NHL Seasons: 5
• Games Played: 64
• Scoring: 8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points
• Average Ice Time: 11:56 ES, 2:12 PP, 0:02 SH
• Contract: Completed year one of a two-year deal with a $3.375 AAV

When the Hurricanes grabbed Ryan Dzingel last July, there was hope that he could be a high-value free agent signing. Coming in off three straight 20-plus goal seasons, including a career-best 26 split between Ottawa and Columbus in 2018-19, and with a career shooting percentage of 15.15 percent, it was thought he could be a prolific finisher in Carolina’s high-volume shooting offense.

The results in year one deflated that theory quickly. Dzingel finished the year on pace for just 10 goals, which would have been a career worst in a full season. He was relegated to the bottom six, and even made a healthy scratch in multiple games.

Dzingel actually got off to a half-decent start, with eight points each in October, November and December, with 24 points in 40 games to start the year, a 50-point full-season pace. He completely tailed off in the second half of the regular season though, with a measly one goal and five points in the 2020 calendar year.

Dzingel has been a decent contributor on the power play this year, with five goals and four assists, but, with over two minutes per game on the man advantage, more could be expected.

So, what exactly happened to make a seemingly consistent 20-goal scorer drop so far off his game? Was it bad luck? That’s certainly a case that could be made, as Dzingel’s shooting percentage was way off his career average this season, plummeting to 8.2%.

Dzingel was a positive possession player this season, 52.2% Corsi For, despite starting just 48.7% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

The other, slightly more troubling, but plausible explanation is that he’s simply doing less with less ice time and lesser linemates. In his three 20-plus goal seasons in Ottawa, Dzingel averaged at least 16:30 per game, and peaked at 17:45 last season.

In Columbus and Carolina, with many more offensive mouths to feed (where are you ranking Dzingel among a group of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Andrei Svechnikov, Vincent Trocheck/Erik Haula, Martin Necas, Justin Williams and Jordan Staal?), he averaged under 15 minutes per game.

It’s possible Dzingel simply isn’t getting the grade-A chances he was in Ottawa with lesser minutes and linemates.

So, what’s to blame for Dzingel’s poor first season in Carolina? Tough luck, or lower ice time? The answer is likely somewhere between, and it should be fair to expect more in year two for Dzingel, though he may be unlikely to hit 20 goals in Raleigh.