What's Your Most Controversial Hockey Opinion?

[Nithoniniel]

The eye test is much better than any advanced statistic. I have nothing against statistics, but the problem is, unlike baseball, the physics of hockey is much too complex to simplify using even "advanced" statistical models that are not capable of including all of the essential variables necessary to accurately compare players, and the eye test tells you everything you really need to know about players, so my advice is to put away the stat sheet, and just watch the game.

The thing is, you judge metrics by their effectiveness as a predictive or descriptive tool. So while I understand your argument, it's clear that the best models actually do a fair job of accounting for all these 'essential variables' or that effectiveness would be worse. Granted, a lot of us who like to look at newer metrics tend to overstate just how strong that effectiveness is to begin with.

Furthermore, while any metric is flawed and doesn't portray reality with complete accuracy, the same is true for domain knowledge, that is the eye test. We are heavily biased in what we see and how we experience it, so at worst you are choosing between two bad options here. Often when that is the case, the best thing to do is to use both of them in tandem, so the flaws can balance each other out.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

The game is way too nice.

Too many good boys praising their competition.

I miss the absolute hate that players had for each other before.

Kane vrs. Reaves made me tune into a game that I would normally not give 2 shits about.

Hate ramps up the emotion which makes the game better.

We don't get that though.

We get "hey they got a good group over there and we just hope to play a better 60 minutes"

BAH!

 

[Kairi Zaide]

My most (probably only) controversial opinion is that if points were devised as a metric today, it would be absolutely torn apart. Giving equal credit for a goal to the last three players who happen to touch the puck, regardless of what they do with it and where? All of us, regardless of age, has grown up taking points for granted as an evaluation tool. Even as the tool. However, if you think about it, it doesn't really seem like something that would effectively attribute credit for goals, let alone contribution to offense overall, not to speak of as a proxy for overall ability (which, quite honestly, is what we mostly do.)

It's one of those things that has always been that way, so we don't ever question it.

So much this. Notably, counting secondary assists is completely useless and only brings noise.

 

[LOFIN]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the playoffs. Sure they bring excitement, but the regular season is just way too meaningles in the NHL and Finnish hockey at the moment. Of cource there are other ways to make it more interesting as well...

 

[Blueblood2]

Obviously giving the Habs all those games against tired teams and favouring the Canadian teams has not helped over the last decade + so i am not sure it is a good arguement.

 

[rt]

1. I don’t believe teams should get points for post-regulation losses. I don’t think the league should use points at all. It should just be wins or losses. How a teams gets the win or loss should not matter.

2. I think the shootout winning goal should count as a goal for the player that scored it.

 

[member 300185]

I hate it when a loser point is given. You either win and get all the points or you lose and get nothing. Its the only sport besides soccer that gives a loser point.

 

[member 300185]

1. I don’t believe teams should get points for post-regulation losses. I don’t think the league should use points at all. It should just be wins or losses. How a teams gets the win or loss should not matter.

2. I think the shootout winning goal should count as a goal for the player that scored it.

I like literally everything you said here.

 

[member 300185]

I counter with 4 Bobby Orrs and 1 Esa Tikkanen.

But Esa is three beers deep and he's got the mouth going like a vandalized graveyard.

Head's up, Wayner.

I triple counter with 2 bobby Orrs, One Wayne Gretzky, one Gordie howe and one Mario Lemieux.

Imagine:

Howe-Gretzky-Lemieux
Orr-Orr

 

[BruinsBtn]

That development is much more important than drafting. Most 'busts' were bad development and most 'steals' were great development. The x-factor is drafting character guys who will listen to coaches. Talent is wildly overrated and that's why Pronman is such a bad scout.

 

[Frank Drebin]

That development is much more important than drafting. Most 'busts' were bad development and most 'steals' were great development. The x-factor is drafting character guys who will listen to coaches. Talent is wildly overrated and that's why Pronman is such a bad scout.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. If talent was wildly overrated every player would be a Pastrnak. Development, or the difference in how teams develop players is wildly overrated.

Wildly Overrated.

You draft me, and develop me "properly"
You draft Patrick Kane, and "ruin" him development wise.

Who ends up being the better NHLer>

 

[Statto]

Fighting and fighters do not deter anything.

Not controversial at all, you’re completely correct.

 

[Statto]

Mine would be to widen the rinks by 5-6 feet to give the players more room to work with. Most seem to hate that idea.

Olympic sized rinks in other words.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Olympic sized rinks in other words.

Olympic sized rinks are actually nearly 15 feet wider and a couple feet shorter.

 

[SomethingHockey]

Some good stuff here.
I’ll say this: the NHL regular season is a straight-up snoozefest a majority of the time. The lack of effort, hitting, and disdain for opponents is concerning. You can play clean and respect your peers but still play hard. The issue becomes even more prevalent during the playoffs when teams actually throw some hits again and people are wondering why it’s like 2 different sports.

 

[Aspirine]

Where to begin...I'll take the first 3 that come to mind.

1) Mario is miscast as part of the big 4, his offense was elite but his ESGF/ESGA shows that his impact wasn't nearly as great as the legend about him.

I am so triggered by this.

 

[Hungry]

Games should be played 4 on 4

 

[kmart]

How would goalies hydrate during play?

They are bouncing around carrying a ton of equipment. They need water.

they can drop the bottles on the goal net like they used to do. some goals are enhanced when they go top shelf and hit the bottle... the so called bottle popper.

 

[Rondo Hatton]

hockey media have collectively given themselves a pass on covering up coaches abusing players and now effectively are concern trolling by pretending to side with the victims - not once talking about their complicity because no one wants their access curbed. Now I don't listen to every hockey talk show s it is possible someone has mentioned this, but I have yet to hear it.

 

[95Tal]

they can drop the bottles on the goal net like they used to do. some goals are enhanced when they go top shelf and hit the bottle... the so called bottle popper.

Yes, back on top, and then get rid of all the bulky electronic junk in the net. I want to see the puck ripple the net like a soccer goal and flop down, black-on-white on the ice, not get wedged behind the giant white pads at the back. Details matter, camera surveillance be damned.

 

[topshelf15]

That development is much more important than drafting. Most 'busts' were bad development and most 'steals' were great development. The x-factor is drafting character guys who will listen to coaches. Talent is wildly overrated and that's why Pronman is such a bad scout.

For me its all about desire,and work ethic...Without it the skill never blossoms

 

[BCNate]

Hughes and Makar are putting together more impressive rookie seasons than Dahlin and Heiskanen.

 

[CartographerNo611]

The game is way too fast, I think the sweet spot was 2008-2012. There was a Ducks/Sharks playoff game from 2008 I watched recently, you can actually follow the puck and tell a difference between elite players and hardworking but no so elite players. I wouldnt mind having a the 2 line pass reinstated with the current neutral zone size. Just way too much up and down hockey with poor puck handling these days.

 

[I am not exposed]

The Presidents trophy is a better indication of the best team in hockey that season, not the Stanley Cup.

 

[I am not exposed]

Having the national anthems played before every single game in the NHL is dumb and annoying. For international fixtures it's fine, but the NHL where the teams are made up of numerous nationalities, it just doesn't make any sense.