Boucher Scouting tracks every puck-possession related event during a game. This allows us not only to rate players based on the results of these events, but it also allows us to measure how involved each player is in the game. We can determine this by dividing the total amount of events by a player's ice-time. The result tells us how involved a player is in the play; breaking it down by minutes-played allows us to even the playing field, and compare players more equally.
An important factor determining player involvement is position and zone. On average, defensemen and centres are more involved in the play; Thereby quantifying the prevailing opinion in hockey that good teams are built down the middle of the ice; with centremen, defensemen, and a goalie.
Lars Eller averages the most events per-minute of ice-time. Number 81 is involved in an incredible 4.34 events every minute he is on the ice. He averages just over 15 minutes of ice-time per-game, and impacts puck-possession 65 times each game. Scott Gomez averages the second-most events per-minute of ice-time at 4.26. His ice-time indicates that he is involved in an average of 60 puck-possession events per-game.
Brad Staubitz is the least involved forward with only 2.78 events per-minute of ice-time, and 18 total events. Other forwards with low event totals include Ryan White, Travis Moen, and Micheal Blunden. It's no coincidence that these players all play the wing.
Among defensemen, PK Subban is involved in 4.06 events per-minute of ice-time. He averages the most ice-time per-game on the Habs (24 minutes). As such, he is involved in an incredible 97 puck-possession events each game; twenty-eight more events per-game than any other player. Gorges averages less events per-minute of ice-time than the average, but his average ice-time allows him to engage in 69 events per-game. Newly-returned defenseman Andrei Markov averages 3.80 events per-minute, and 65 total events per-game.
Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin engage in the fewest events per-minute of ice-time. This, combined with their ice-time indicate that they have the lowest event totals among defensemen.
