VERMETTE?
By Lowetide
7 years agoThe Arizona Coyotes placed Antoine Vermette on waivers today for the purpose of buyout. Vermette is nearing the end of a very successful NHL career, that includes over 900 regular-season games and a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. Edmonton employed a tragic third and fourth line last season, can Vermette help?
VERMETTE PLAYER CARD 15-16
- 5×5 points per 60: 1.04 (No. 9 among Coyotes forwards>400 minutes)
- 5×4 points per 60: 3.61 (No. 4 among Coyotes forwards>100 minutes)
- Corsi for % 5×5: 46.3
- Qual Comp: (3rd line opp)
- Qual Team: (3rd, borderline 4th team)
- Corsi Rel: 0.7
- Shots on goal/percentage: 123/13.8%
- Boxcars: 76GP, 17-21-38
- (All numbers via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com and BehindtheNet.ca)
VOLLMAN SLEDGEHAMMER
Vermette (based on this graph) is about where the BTN numbers suggest he should be—in a group of second and third line forwards who are working in a softer area of the opposition. The tough minutes in Arizona (based on the Vollman) belong to Tobias Rieder, Martin Hanzal, Brad Richardson and Jordan Martinook.
The advantage for Arizona’s deployment for Vermette should be a strong 5×5/60, and as the numbers above show he did not deliver. If you are the Coyotes, that is probably enough to justify the buyout (they may have been trying to deal him until now—his boxcar numbers are quite good).
Bottom line: 5×5 offense is poor based on where Vermette was deployed. That is a big damned deal.
ANYTHING ELSE?
The power play offense above suggests he might be able to help—although you would prefer him to be righthanded. Vermette’s faceoff percentage—55.8—would be welcomed by Edmonton, as that would tower over many of their current centers:
- Matt Hendricks 55.4
- Mark Letestu 51.3
- Leon Draisaitl 48.4
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 44.8
- Connor McDavid 41.2
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
The Oilers should aim higher in their efforts to improve their bottom 6F, but the summer is six weeks old (or so) and Peter Chiarelli is burning daylight. If Edmonton does sign Vermette, expect Anton Lander to be the odd man out.
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