With the Playoffs having started, let’s take a look at the top SHL performers by WAR. You’re going to want to open this one on your desktop, there’s lots of pictures.
Forwards
The MVP of this year’s season is quite clearly Max Véronneau. Obviously I’m saying this because I hate Ryan Lasch and think PP points are fake. His output in both the counting stats as well as the on ice impacts was simply staggering. A +0.66 On Ice xG impact (5v5, per 60 mins) is the highest value in the league by a clear margin, which is how you provide ~ 2 more Goals in value over the next best forward despite getting dinked -1.1 GAR from the PK.
Impressive season also for Oscar Möller, in most years an EV impact like that would have been enough for a fancystats MVP title, but unfortunately not this season.
For the people wondering when I’m going to bring up the Canucks, worry not. Linus Karlsson is doing very well in the SHL. Most of his values comes from point production rather than two way impact (though that’s also pretty good). I haven’t looked into what Jonathan Dahlén is up to, but he’s probably still just playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, so I’m counting this as a solid W for Jim Benning.
Much like Linus Karlsson, Patrik Karlkvist also came from HockeyAllsvenskan and just kept putting up points.
Now, I might be a little cautious about those points, a lot of his offense appears to have been helped along by some good shooting fortune.
Or maybe he just always hits those changeups, who’s to say.
Jokes aside, it is quite impressive to jump up a league and put up this kind of performance, even if I wouldn’t expect it to stay at this level.
Defenders
As for Defenders, Nick Ebert seems like the kind of guy who’d get lots of interest from teams all around europe (cause pointzzz), but he backs it up with quite good two-way impact with, for the first time in the three of his SHL seasons in my data set, actually includes above average defensive impact.
There’s also Michael Kapla, also a Free Agent with some defensive attributes that should entice some GMs around the continent.
And since we’re already talking about defender with good EV Impacts, let’s jump to the next section
EV Impact
If we sort players by EV WAR per 60, a few interesting names appear on the list.
Simon Edvinsson’s been excellent for Frölunda. Now, mind you, his two way impact isn’t at the same level as his point production and he’s arguably benefitted from some poor shooting luck defensively, but if I were a Red Wings fan, I’d be very encouraged by this development. He’s no Moritz Seider, but then again, who is, really.
Interestingly, he’s mostly played with Christian Folin and he’s done much better apart from Folin than Folin has sans Edvinsson:
Folin and Edvinsson (592 mins): 56.9% xGF
Folin without Edvinsson (219 mins): 45.6% xGF
Edvinsson without Folin (158 mins): 54.1% xGF
Which is also evidenced by the fact that Folin’s xGF and xGA RAPM impacts1 hover around average while Edvinsson’s are clearly in the black.
There’s also Leon Bristedt, who seems like the kinda guy swiss teams should be throwing money at.
*puts hand to ear*
oh, excuse me, my producer just told me he’s not that tall. Never mind. Big boy hockey and all that.
Prospects
Sure, I’ve mentioned free agents a bunch, but chances are, if you’re north american, you care much more about the children that were auctioned off the last few years drafted players and the children that may be auctioned off to your favourite corporation players to be drafted soon.
Maybe in the future I’ll figure out how to add in NHL rights to this, but for now, this’ll have to do.
2022 Draft Eligibles
There’s Marco Kasper, who has had some bad bounces reduce his defensive impact, but still manages to be roughly an average SHL forward at not yet 18, which is rather impressive.
Also from Central Europe: Lian Bichsel. Who has had more of a tough time, with Leksand putting up worse shot and xG differentials with him on the ice. Now, maybe playing with Jonas Ahnelöv didn’t really suit either of them well, scouts seem to love him (and I assume that’s not just because he’s tall).
Simon Forsmark hasn’t had a particularly fun time, decidedly not getting bounces despite having a league average impact on xG. He also hasn’t put up points, but he’s a defenceman, so that’s certainly forgiveable.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki put up a few points in very limited minutes which bumped his ratings up to roughly league average for SHL forwards.
Drafted Players
As for the drafted players, Isak Rosén went from 21 games with awful impacts in 20/21 to 26 games with excellent impacts in 21/22. Clearly the answer is somewhere in the middle, which for a Draft + 1 season is pretty decent.
Simon Robertsson did what we in the business call the “reverse Isak Rosén”, which unfortunately isn’t quite as fun. The offensive impact still isn’t there and this season the defense has cratered.
Anton Olsson keeps putting up above average metrics on a not great team in Malmö, that’s quite impressive. Some bounces going his way defensively and against him offensively.
William Eklund’s Draft + 1 season’s seen some sizeable improvement. Putting up roughly 2nd line production in a first line role (on a team having a very rough season).
Also he gets to play on a line with Dick Axelsson which must be fun.
Bonus Dick Axelsson content:
Imagine how good Axelsson could be if he started his seasons in September like the rest of the league.
RAPM Impacts also include information on the shift types (OZ/DZ/NZ/on the fly deployment) and teammates and opponents on the ice.