Nils H枚glander is one of the most efficient goalscorers in the NHL this season.
The 22-year-old winger is averaging the lowest ice time on the 麻豆传媒映画Canucks this season, playing just 10:37 per game. Despite that limited ice time, H枚glander is second on the Canucks in 5-on-5 goals with seven 鈥� one goal behind Ilya Mikheyev, who scored his eighth 5-on-5 goal on Saturday just after a Canucks power play expired.
That鈥檚 a 24-goal pace for H枚glander, which is pretty solid production for someone getting fourth-line minutes and no power play time. When you compare him to the rest of the NHL, H枚glander鈥檚 1.78 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 is actually in the top ten, just a little behind the likes of Connor Bedard, Alex DeBrincat, Artemi Panarin, and Ilya Mikheyev again.
That kind of production, as well as the dogged determination he has shown on the forecheck and in board battles this season, is enough to make one think that H枚glander deserves to get more ice time.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet agrees.
"We've got to get his hockey IQ up a little bit."
In an , Tocchet explained why H枚glander鈥檚 ice time has been limited to start the season, pointing to the defensive side of the ice and his positioning.
鈥淗e鈥檚 an interesting guy. I really like H枚ggy. We鈥檝e got to get his hockey IQ up a little bit,鈥� said Tocchet. 鈥淗ashmarks down, I really like his game.鈥�
The issue comes in the defensive zone and Tocchet suggested that H枚glander鈥檚 defenders might be leaning too much on one particular source.
鈥淏ig analytics town around here,鈥� said Tocchet. 鈥淚 do like analytics but you鈥檝e got to be careful. I鈥檓 an eye test guy. With H枚ggy, I鈥檝e got to learn to trust him in certain situations, make sure he鈥檚 in certain spots.鈥�
Following up shortly after, Don Taylor quipped, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking for a deep dive on analytics, you鈥檝e got the wrong show. We鈥檙e not that smart.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not either,鈥� the quick-witted Tocchet replied. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because I do like analytics in its place and it鈥檚 important but I think sometimes you鈥檝e got to be careful because sometimes you read analytics and you鈥檙e like, 鈥楻eally? They had this guy playing a great game or this guy playing a bad game?鈥� You have to have the eye test. We use analytics but we don鈥檛 overblow it; it鈥檚 kind of a happy medium.鈥�
Perhaps Tocchet should give analytics a little more credence when it comes to H枚glander. As much as he鈥檚 scoring goals and causing some havoc in the offensive end of the ice, some analytics do reveal some defensive deficiencies.
Among the Canucks鈥� regular forwards, H枚glander has the fourth-highest rate of expected goals against: 2.80 xGA/60, according to . The three forwards with a higher rate of expected goals against are Phil Di Giuseppe, Brock Boeser, and J.T. Miller, who have the excuse of playing a match-up role against the opponents鈥� top line night-in, night-out.
On the fourth line, on the other hand, H枚glander gets some of the easiest match-ups on the Canucks, so those defensive numbers are a legitimate concern. H枚glander鈥檚 defensive game hasn鈥檛 hurt the team just yet 鈥� the Canucks have out-scored their opponents 14-to-4 with H枚glander on the ice at 5-on-5 鈥� but that鈥檚 primarily because the Canucks鈥� goaltending has been outstanding behind him.
Power play is key to getting H枚glander more minutes
Still, Tocchet agrees that he has to get H枚glander on the ice more often.
鈥淲hen he鈥檚 forechecking and being a pest, he deserves some more time,鈥� said Tocchet. 鈥淎nd I will tell you, he does deserve more time. Unfortunately, he doesn鈥檛 penalty kill. I might actually start to get him on the power play on the second unit to get him more minutes.鈥�
With Anthony Beauvillier traded away, there鈥檚 a spot available on the second power play unit, possibly two if Andrei Kuzmenko gets bumped back up to the first unit at some point.
On Saturday against the Calgary Flames, however, AHL call-up Linus Karlsson was placed on the second unit ahead of H枚glander, despite just two power play points 鈥� both assists 鈥� in 17 games for the Abbotsford Canucks this season.
Given H枚glander鈥檚 production at 5-on-5 and his clear offensive skill, it鈥檚 surprising that H枚glander wasn鈥檛 already getting used on the second unit.
But beyond potentially getting a bit more scoring out of H枚glander, Tocchet thinks getting him on the power play will have an additional benefit to his game.
鈥淚 think that will help get him going a little bit where he doesn鈥檛 have to sit on the bench for five minutes,鈥� said Tocchet. 鈥淗opefully, if he plays that second unit, he will get those extra minutes and probably get in the flow of the game a lot quicker. It is hard to sit on the bench for five-six minutes when there鈥檚 power play and penalty kill and then you鈥檙e probably the third rotation guy to go out there, so that鈥檚 about four or five minutes. That鈥檚 tough on a player.鈥�
Tocchet has previously praised H枚glander for the way he鈥檚 able to come off the bench and contribute even when special teams situations have kept him out for long stretches.
鈥淲hat I like about him, he sat on the bench for a period of time and to come out there and give us energy, that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 impressed,鈥� said Tocchet after a game against the St. Louis Blues. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 hard. You sit on the bench, your legs are tight, and for him to do that, I was impressed.鈥�
