Advanced stats change the way we analyze the game.
Hockey is fast.
In a matter of seconds, the play can shift from one end of the ice to the other. The puck changes hands constantly, and teams rapidly trade scoring chances over the course of a single line’s shift.
As we enter a new age of hockey — one that is even faster than the game of years past — valuing a player based on his contribution to the team becomes ever more important. With the change in on-ice style comes a change in analytics and stats.