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2016-17 Rink Wrap: Kevin Shattenkirk

Japers’ Rink Player Card (click for a hi-res version; data via NHL.comCorsica.hockey and Cap Friendly):

Shattenkirk’s Season, Game-by-Game (via HockeyViz, explained here):

Shattenkirk and His Defense Partners (chart by @muneebalamcu):

Shattenkirk’s 5v5 Teammates and Competition (via HockeyViz, explained here):

Shattenkirk’s 5v5 Usage (chart by @muneebalamcu):

Shattenkirk’s With-or-Without You (via HockeyViz, explained here):

Shattenkirk’s Rolling Shot-Attempt (Corsi) -For Percentage (chart by @muneebalamcu):

Shattenkirk’s Seven Seasons (via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com):

Shattenkirk’s Goals Against Replacement (GAR) Components (chart by @ChartingHockey, data by @DTMAboutHeart, explained here, Tableau here):

Shattenkirk’s HERO Chart (via Own The Puck):

Previous Rink Wraps: None

Key Stat: Over his time in St. Louis and Washington, Shattenkirk ranked 19th among defensemen in primary assists per 60 minutes at five-on-five in 2016-17—but only 4th among Caps D.

Interesting Stat: The Capitals shot 5.5% with Shattenkirk on the ice at even strength during the playoffs. Combined with .903 goaltending, Shattenkirk had the second-worst PDO among team defensemen at 959 (D-partner Brooks Orpik was last, at 919).

The Good: Shattenkirk had a solid end to the regular season after the Capitals acquired him at the trade deadline. In 19 games, he posted 14 points (including two game-winners) and nearly 2.5 shots per game (a hair behind John Carlson for second on the team—Alex Ovechkin, as usual, ranked first). He also looked like a significant upgrade on the top power play unit right away, moving the puck crisply and effectively—the power play looked downright terrifying right from the get-go—while posting 1-6-7.

At 5-on-5, Shattenkirk was also effective. Over the end of the regular season and postseason, he was tied for second among team defensemen in points per 60 minutes (to Matt Niskanen, and tied with Nate Schmidt). He ranked 3rd in 5-on-5 TOI and 3rd in Corsi differential per 60 (behind Dmitry Orlov and Niskanen both times).

Shattenkirk’s poise and skill at the point, while not as apparent in the postseason as in the regular season, helped the Caps to a great 25% power play efficiency in the postseason (2nd to Calgary). His lone goal in the postseason was a power play overtime winner.

The Bad: Shattenkirk’s playoff performance outside of the power play was not great, for the most part. He had issues with defensive coverage, and the pace of the game against the Maple Leafs and Penguins seemed to push him a little more than he could handle comfortably. He and Orpik were healthily outscored at 5-on-5—not the hallmark of a great player playing sheltered minutes. Those results don’t look good juxtaposed with the price the team paid to get him and the caliber of player he is widely (though not universally) considered to be—a top-pairing defenseman.

Additionally, Shattenkirk barely played on the penalty kill—just three minutes and 26 seconds.

Finally, Shattenkirk was suspended two games for charging in March.

The Video:

The Vote: Rate [Player] below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.

The Discussion: What type of contract does Shattenkirk merit in free agency, and what is he likely to get? How important is Shattenkirk to the future of this team? Should the team elect to keep him over Matt Niskanen, John Carlson, or a top-six forward, given respective ages and (likely) contracts? What’s the value of his power play contribution? Can he anchor a top-four pairing on his own? What would it take for you to give him a “10” next year?

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