Would you care to show what analytics you’re looking at?
I'll save you the time and energy and play out where this is going to go.
-The x/stats (x/GF, xGA, x+/-). Those are the go to adv stats for Spurgeon. The choice will be either ES or 5v5, whichever looks better will get used. /60 stats may or may not be used personal preference, because they look better, or whatever.
It doesn't matter if the scoreboard ended up a 1GF/6GA, the x/stats will say 3.4 xGF and 3.9 xGA. So the x/stats are the numbers that will be used for a Playoff series. The goalies stunk and the rest of team couldn't score when he was on the ice will be the excuse.
On the flip side the onice totals will be 57GF/35GA (+22) for a season, and the xstats will say 55.1 xGF and 46.6 xGA (x+8.5) so the +22 will be used instead. Both might be used and the "He's just so good the team almost tripled what was expected" will be said.
-QoC faced will not be mentioned, because it's not a readily available stat. If it is somehow brought up and loooks bad for Spurgeon then it'll be the coaches fault for how he's been used.
-5v5 and ES ToI/g won't be used because it shows that Spurgeon is playing somewhere between 4D-6D for the Wild. Overall ToI/g will be used because bumps Spurgeon closer to Brodin/Dumba due to PP time (none of them should be on the PP).
-PK stats other than ToI won't be used for most seasons. Spurgeon, most seasons, has bad GA/60 compared to the other d-men on the team. The goalies need to be better and it's only a small sample size of time tend to get brought up.
-PP stats will be used, they look nice, but that is due to the PP1 FWDs not really the point d-man. The stats are all similar no matter who was on the point for the last few seasons. The with/without backs this up, is the counter argument.
-Spurgeon is a top 20 d-man in the league because he showed up in the Norris voting. The reality is yes somewhere between 0.5% (1 voter) and 2.7% (5 voters) of the Norris award (~190) voters thought he was worth giving a vote to. That's roughly is the amount as the 3rd party candidates share of US Presidential elections.
-If you bring up the team W-L-OTL record being better without Spurgeon than with him the reply will just end up being that the team played easier teams when he was out. If someone does a deep dive they'll say the team GA/g went up without Spurgeon, but they'll leave out the team GF/g went up by a little bit more.
-There are a few others, but they just end up coming back to a point already talked about. And the circle starts again.
I'll tell you again. This isn't the hill you want to die on. You're not going to change anyone's opinion on here. You're fighting a battle of people's feelings about something with logic. The numbers/stats don't really matter; they can be manipulated, spun, ignored in favor of different stats. This isn't just a Spurgeon specific thing it goes for many players/prospects.
If you're feeling feisty and just want to poke the bear, go for it. I still do from time to time. But overall it's really not worth the time and/or energy.
Side note: I just learned that the PHWA has made the award voters ballots public for the last few years.
Awards Archive – Professional Hockey Writers Association If anyone is interested.
