Let’s be honest; special teams has been a bit of a problem for the Winnipeg Jets 2.0. While this is probably the only situation I’ll give some validation to the move and no training camp, there is still something we can learn with who has been more and less successful under the team’s new systems.
We'll look at how the Jets performed over the last two seasons combined in four versus five situations:
| Name | TOI | SA/20 | CA/20 | CF% |
| Grant Clitsome | 113 | 14.747 | 23.808 | 23.4% |
| Tobias Enstrom | 105 | 17.529 | 31.629 | 13.1% |
| Ron Hainsey | 266 | 17.433 | 31.935 | 10.9% |
| Zach Bogosian | 244 | 16.903 | 34.544 | 14.4% |
| Mark Stuart | 313 | 18.039 | 34.863 | 9.6% |
|
All shot attempts against (CA/20 = shots, misses, blocks and goals) has been shown to be most repeatable for year-to-year, so this would be a good indication of natural skill and predictor of what can reasonably expected for our pieces the next season. Shots against (SA/20), however, is a better representation of what occurred to the eye-test for success.
|
Looking at all regular NHL PK defense (~150 players with 100+ mins):
* Grant Clitsome placed 2nd best in the NHL for reducing shot attempts against and is the only Winnipeg Jet in the top 60
* Grant Clitsome has the best shot attempts +/- in the NHL, with Zach Bogosian as 39th and Tobias Enstrom as 49th
* Mark Stuart placed the 7th worst in the NHL for reducing shot attempts against, while Zach Bogosian is 14th worst in the NHL
Random Thoughts and Notes:
There are some big surprises in the data. Grant Clitsome has some really impressive numbers over the last two seasons, like really really impressive numbers. It is possible that some of it may be inflated from working with Alexander Burmistrov and Evander Kane, but still Clitsome was at least not serving as anchor.
Zach Bogosian's data also is a bit of a surprise. The Jets' allowed a lot of pucks directed at their own net, but were also able to generate a lot relatively at the other team's net. Like how Grant Clitsome was likely inflated from his forwards, Bogosian was probably hurt trying to carry Mark Stuart.
Just like with the forwards, the leader in minutes used is the player you want to see on the ice the least. Mark Stuart falls into the territory of extraordinarily terrible, along with Jim Slater and former Jet Tanner Glass. Even Dustin Byfuglien has faired better in 4v5 situations than Stuart, although Big Buff has only seen 45 minutes of ice time over a combined three seasons.
