This week on Frozen Tool Forensics we are going to dive back into a classic, a recurring theme of the column: time on ice. We talk a lot about deployment here as opportunity usually begets production. I will typically look at deployment in terms of lines, as that usually has some bearing on total time on ice as well as the quality of linemates, but there is not a really clear way to do a league-wide search for "top line". Instead, we rely on time on ice. In this specific instance we are looking at total time on ice (TOI) and power-play time (PP). For the purposes of this article, we are going to go one step further and look at percent instead of total minutes and seconds. We do this because the actuals can vary a bit during the game depending on how it goes, particularly in these smaller sample sizes. For example, there may be a stretch of games where a power-play only has one opportunity a game so it looks like a player's deployment is suffering when it is actually not. We wouldn't want to make long term decisions about that player's value when the power-play time is low because of a random stretch of low penalties taken versus being taken off of the top power play.

Today we will be comparing the last three weeks of deployment to a player’s first few months (essentially an October to December timeline, compared to the last three weeks). The table below then contains (going from left to right) general player information (name, position, team, and games played during this time frame), percent of the overall team time they have gotten on both the power play and in total, the same numbers but for the beginning of the season, and then the difference between these two time periods. All of it has been taken from Frozen Tools.  

This table was created by running two different TOI Reports from the reports page, one for each time segment (using the custom report option) and then exporting and combining the relevant tables.

Stop reading right now and go check out Brock Faber. I mean, in all likelihood he isn't available, but at least check. With Minnesota missing Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin, Faber, who had already been playing high minutes at even strength has now added all of the power-play time to his resume as well. He has played over 30 minutes a night several times over the last month, and with this additional power-play role he is shooting, blocking, and sometimes hitting. His three-assist night on January 6th is still his most dramatic outing to date, but he is very much worth a speculative add. Points should come, and in the meantime the uptick in peripherals certainly increases his value.

Very similarly Egor Zamula is an interesting candidate. He isn't quite getting the total time that Faber is, but he has recently taken over top power-play duties in Philly. Move over Travis Sanheim, Cam York, and Rasmus Ristolainen because here comes Zamula, apparently. Since about January 4th he has been seeing over 70% of the power-play time in Philadelphia and going back a little further, he has been on a nice little points run since December 22nd. Like with Faber, worth a speculative add in a lot of formats, though the shot/block rates a quite a bit lower so if those power-play points dry up he probably won't be providing a lot of value.

Jonathan Drouin is another one like Faber that is worth an add if he is somehow not rostered already in your league. For a couple of weeks now he has been on the top line and top power-play with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. If he isn't in your lineup, you have probably missed the boat, but it is worth checking. While he doesn't point every game, he has a very solid point streak dating back to December 13th. There is a little bit of a question mark as to what will happen to the lines with an imminent return of Artturi Lehkonen, so if you currently roster Drouin keep an eye on those lines. Drouin hasn't been fantasy relevant long enough for me to believe that he can keep it up without top notch deployment, so if he is shuffled off either the top line or the top pp that would be cause for concern.

We have already talked about Morgan Geekie in this column, so we aren't going to dig too deep, but he has been seeing a fair amount of success playing with David Pastrnak at even strength and on the power-play so if you haven't checked him out already definitely make sure to do so.

Lastly, I wanted to briefly look at our Calgary duo of Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman. Both are seeing increases in both power-play percentage and overall time on ice, but that is not because they are playing together. For the most part they have actually been lining up on different lines both at even strength and on the power-play. Coleman is playing with the classic third line of Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane while Sharangovich is on what is probably the top line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindolm. Things are fairly similar on the power-play with Sharangovich on what is probably the top unit. The lines have been shifting in Calgary, so it is worth paying attention too. In the short term both are work rostering so definitely consider them.

That is all for this week.

Do your part to support organizations working to make hockey for everyone.

Black Girl Hockey Club

Hockey is For Everyone

Athletes for Hope

Premier Hockey Federation