FRISCO -- When the NHL announced it would introduce player and puck tracking next season, it was a big step forward for the sport's technology. Broadcasts, for better or worse, can use it to highlight certain metrics. Gamblers can use it on previously impossible prop bets such as how far or fast a player skates.
Then there's the analytics community, which could use the new swath of information to more accurately measure a player's contributions on the ice. It's unknown how much of the information will be publicly available, but teams can use it to accurately measure where shots are coming from and in what situation (off the rush, side-to-side, with a screen, on a one-timer) to better judge a player's performance.