This week on Frozen Tool Forensics we are going to dip back into Multi-Cat Performers. The name of the game here is strong contributions across several scoring categories.

To gather the data for this review we are taking a look at the Multi-Category report on the Dobber Reports page. This report gives us basic scoring information as well as several peripheral categories that includes shots, hits, blocks, plus minus, and penalty minutes. It also gives us some of those stats combined. All of these categories are already split for us on a season and per game basis for easy analysis. For the purposes of this article, I am focusing on shots, hits, and blocks (no penalty minutes).

To make the tables we will be looking at I have exported the report and done some rearranging of the columns, so we are only looking at the relevant information here. The tables start with basic player information on the left (name, position, team) and then the current season information (games player, shots per game, hits per game, blocks per game, and points per game).

First up forwards. These are players who are putting over two shots per game, over one hit per game and .9 blocks per game.

As someone lucky enough to roster several of these players across leagues I can attest to their value. Rickard Rakell has slightly increased shot and hit rates thus far in 2024-25, but the biggest change is his blocks per game number has risen from consistently in the .65 range for several seasons to well over a block per game. A lot of his value has also come from his point production as his 70-point pace is his highest since 2017-18. Given his career history the shot and hit rates seem pretty reasonable, but the block rate is a question mark as is the point production given his and his teammate's ages and his high shooting percentage.

There isn't really a lot to say about Tom Wilson. He is doing more of what he has historically done. The one real change is an improved point pace, but that has a lot to do with an inflated team and personal shooting percentage. Definitely enjoy the points while they are here as I am not entirely sure they will sustain.

It's the same but different story with Vincent Trocheck. He has historically been good at filling multiple categories and this season is no different. The variation on the theme so far in 2024-25 is with hits, where Trocheck has increased almost a half hit per game from recent seasons. The downside is a bit of a drop in point production. It remains to be seen how the addition of JT Miller will ultimately impact Trocheck, but having another player who fills a similar role and who jeopardizes access to Artemi Panarin probably isn't great.

For two seasons now Fabian Zetterlund has been putting up well rounded peripheral stats. If only he could manage a bit more consistent point production to go with it. We got a glimpse of that through the first couple of months of the season as a part of the Lund Line and it was glorious, but recently Zetterlund has settled back into a lower production pace.

Aleksander Barkov often comes up on lists of productive forwards who also block, but the hitting is relatively recent. Through the first ten seasons of his career his highest per game hit average was .75, which essentially doubled in 2023-24. He has been trending up here since 2018-19 or so, but given his injury history do we really want Barkov throwing his body around more? In 2024-25 he has actually increased his blocks to closer to one per game but has dropped some shots. This is actually his lowest shot rate since 2016-17.

Since forwards are not necessarily known for blocking, managers don't always take that into account when considering multi-cate players. Shots, hits, and points though? A valuable combination.

I am not going to go through each player on this list as most are already well known in these kinds of circles, but it is worth a reminder that Alex Ovechkin is still out there doing his thing at 39 years old. Brady Tkachuk, even in kind of a down year points wise is essentially lapping the competition here in hits. Matthew Tkachuk and Filip Forsberg have pretty similar profiles, and have been providing value even if the point production has been somewhat inconsistent, same with Jonathan Marchessault

Just in case he slipped under the radar, Adrian Kempe is now in his fourth season of providing solid fantasy production in this format. Third really for including the point production, but he has consistently been solid and certainly worthy of being included on this list.

Moving on to defencemen now. The cutoffs here are two shots, two hits, and two blocks per game. Who can meet that elite standard?

Early season returns showed us Mackenzie Weegar and he has maintained that stellar production all season. Moritz Seider was a borderline candidate earlier this season after projecting top tier over the summer and he is back. Both have had variations throughout the years, but Weegar has been in this ballpark for about four seasons know, and Seider since he entered the league (making this his third straight season in this range)

To round out the D we have everyone who is putting up 1.5 or higher shots, hits, and blocks.

Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse have both taken their turns in the elite group above. Nurse seems like he still is flirting with that top group, but Trouba's shot rates have taken a hit over the last couple of seasons and really seem to be dropping off in Anaheim. His hit and block rates are still strong, but I am not sure we are going to be able to count on those shots going forward.

Charlie McAvoy is the only player on this list consistently on a top power play. That is great in terms of opportunity but his per game stats fluctuate quite a bit per season. He only has one season over two blocks per game, and his shot and hit rates range from about 1.35 to just over two.

Neal Pionk and Colton Parayko have also been represented on these top peripherals lists in the past. Pionk's block rates have never been that high and his shot rates have only exceeded two per game once. Parayko tends to be the opposite, better shot rates, consistently high block rates, but less consistent hits. Both tend to fluctuate a bit based on how they are used, and their team's injury situation, but for the now both are doing well.

That is all for this week.

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