Comparing Hockey Stats

Back when I was in school my teachers always said there was a difference between hearing and listening. The same is true in terms of seeing and reading. As a fantasy hockey player you probably look at stats often and try to decide what to do. But in looking at the stats do you really read and see the stats?

If you really did read the stats you could argue that Sidney Crosby should not be compared to Alexander Ovechkin, that being an NHL captain might affect your point totals and that a player does not always average the same range of stats every season.

Below is a chart with six of the top eight current scoring leaders in the NHL. I organized these players into two groups. I know you can see it, but can you read it?

In a quick glimpse it appears they are organized based on position. An assumption would be the nature of the position would thus always result in the stats being similar. However in reality it is much more than that. It is really based on playing style and how well balanced they are as an offensive threat. Some players look to shoot first while others look to pass first. Some players are not known to be passers at all. Ovechkin, Heatley and Hossa have a much more balanced game. Players such as Simon Gagne, Glen Murray, and Ryan Smith rely on having great passers to get their goals.