When the Penguins traded for Erik Gudbranson right before the trade deadline last month, it appeared to be a doomsday situation, with the results expected to be less than stellar, given his track record in Florida in Vancouver.
A funny thing has happened as more data of Gudbranson’s stint with Pittsburgh - which is still admittedly still brief. One month in, to the shock of many, the results have been outstanding. The data (aggregated by Sean Tierney) shows it as such.
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In the month since Gudbranson has joined the Penguins, his on-ice shot rates are not only among the best defensemen on the team, they rank among the best defenseman in the NHL.