Who is Jason Zucker and why isn't anyone talking about him?

[Dr Jan Itor]

Gotta get them apples.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Michael Grabner was awesome.

 

[El Nino 22]

Jason Zooker? never heard of him.

He's really fast and really good at scoring goals. Hes a young Parise.

 

[plock]

I can't believe that there's someone who has watched the Wild this season and is trying to downplay what he's done because he doesn't have enough assists

I am not downplaying what he has done just saying he needs to improve this area of his game and that assists are an important part of the dynamic of team scoring.

 

[Mubiki]

It matters because it effects overall team scoring.It is really pretty easy if a player has 30 goals and 30 assists he is contributing to 60 team goals if he has 40 and 10 assists he is contributing to 50 team goals.Would you rather have 60 goals or 50?Also if he is scoring 40 goals he's likely on your top line if he only has 10 assists that means he is only contributing to 10 more goals from your top line,how is that not a problem?

That's being generous, and it lacks context. You can get an assist by shooting the puck and having it bounce to an open teammate, or make a routine short pass and have two teammates complete a two on one.

There are three things going against Zucker.

He gets no pp time, this eliminates easy points, and the highest chance of generating assists.

He's the fastest player and best scoring option on his line. He's usually in the best position to score, and he finishes well. His linemates know this. Both Koivu and Pomminville have been scoring at a higher rate with him than with any other player on that line.

And lastly, the three best goal scorers on the team aside from him play on different lines. His two linemates have combined for 17 goals; one less than he has alone. Until Koivu and Pomminville start scoring goals 5v5 like they can, his assist total is likely to remain low. And no, they weren't scoring goals without him either.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Name me a 40-50 goal scorer who only got 10 assists,show me any of last years 30 goal scorers who had less than 20 assists.

Peter Bondra had a 34-9 year, Wendel Clark 34-11, Eric Daze 31-11, and Rick Nash had a 41-16 year.

 

[plock]

If the NHL didn't count secondary assists you'd have a point.

The fact that they count secondary assists should make it easier for Zucker to get some.

 

[AKL]

The fact that they count secondary assists should make it easier for Zucker to get some.

It also makes goals almost twice as valuable as assists.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

It also makes goals almost twice as valuable as assists.

Nope.

 

[AKL]

Nope.

Yes it does. There's more assists being handed out. Up to 2 for every 1 goal scored. It inflates assists totals. Yes it means there was a goal scored, but if there were only 1 assist for every 1 goal, a lot of players would have a lot less assists, and a lot of players would have more goals than assists.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

A guy who averages 25-15 isn't as valuable as a guy who averages 15-35.

 

[Mubiki]

The fact that they count secondary assists should make it easier for Zucker to get some.

Except the other player still has to score. His linemates and our top pairing have combined for a paltry 20 goals. And it's not for lack of trying; 3/4 are experiencing career low shooting percentages.

This isn't really rocket science..

 

[Spurgeon]

A guy who averages 25-15 isn't as valuable as a guy who averages 15-35.

It is on the Wild.

 

[plock]

Peter Bondra had a 34-9 year, Wendel Clark 34-11, Eric Daze 31-11, and Rick Nash had a 41-16 year.

Bondra was lockout year Nash is 40+G 10+A outside my criteria.Interesting on Daze and Clark.Still pretty uncommon mix of stats to put up.

 

[Mubiki]

It is on the Wild.

Amen.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Except the other player still has to score. His linemates and our top pairing have combined for a paltry 20 goals. And it's not for lack of trying; 3/4 are experiencing career low shooting percentages.

This isn't really rocket science..

It's a 46 game sample size. Marek Svatos was on pace to score 34 goals with 5! assists one year. He finished with 26 and 11. Outliers happen.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Bondra was lockout year Nash is 40+G 10+A outside my criteria.Interesting on Daze and Clark.Still pretty uncommon mix of stats to put up.

Joe Malone had a 44 and 4 year.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

It is on the Wild.

Ugh. No. But ok.

 

[Mubiki]

It's a 46 game sample size. Marek Svatos was on pace to score 34 goals with 5! assists one year. He finished with 26 and 11. Outliers happen.

Yep. And had he spent the entire year where he is now, and his linemates were true to average, he would probably be around 18-14 or so, and we wouldn't be having this stupid conversation.

 

[plock]

Except the other player still has to score. His linemates and our top pairing have combined for a paltry 20 goals. And it's not for lack of trying; 3/4 are experiencing career low shooting percentages.

This isn't really rocket science..

Zucker has played with pretty much everybody on the team this year (perhaps this is part of the problem) are you saying no one on this team can score?

 

[plock]

Joe Malone had a 44 and 4 year.

That is pretty damn good for a 20 game season.

 

[Mubiki]

A guy who averages 25-15 isn't as valuable as a guy who averages 15-35.

Curious point, seeing as a team of players scoring 15-35 would be a statistical impossibility.

Reason would stand that the players with a 2/1 assist to goal ratio are in that position precisely because other players are closer to the opposite.

Which is more important? That's a chicken vs the egg sort of question if there ever was one. It's cute though that you claim to have the answer.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Zucker has played with pretty much everybody on the team this year (perhaps this is part of the problem) are you saying no one on this team can score?

He's saying that nobody has scored over the course of 46 games with Zucker being on the ice. It's a statistical outlier. A fluke. Unsustainable.

 

[Mubiki]

Zucker has played with pretty much everybody on the team this year (perhaps this is part of the problem) are you saying no one on this team can score?

Nope. I'm saying the three players scoring the most outside of him have played next to zero meaningful minutes with him.

And the players he's played with the most haven't been scoring many goals with anyone.

Those two factors combined lead one to a pretty obvious conclusion.

However, if our top pairing and his linemates start scoring more and his stats aren't reflecting contribution, then I'll be more concerned.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Curious point, seeing as a team of players scoring 15-35 would be a statistical impossibility.

Reason would stand that the players with a 2/1 assist to goal ratio are in that position precisely because other players are closer to the opposite.

Which is more important? That's a chicken vs the egg sort of question if there ever was one. It's cute though that you claim to have the answer.

Except that a 2:1 goal to assist ratio isn't sustainable in today's NHL. Although goal scorers primarily don't look to pass they still create rebounds that would lead to accidental assists.

The best goal scorers get assists.