Analytics part of 'balances and checks' for Canes
/The Carolina Hurricanes' web site examines the use of analytics, noting their importance for the team.
“There are a bunch of different balances and checks that we consider when we try to put things together to make sure we’re doing things right,” said Canes GM Ron Francis.
Most of the story's perspective comes from Darren Yorke, the Canes’ video scout and hockey operations assistant.
“The general public is probably most familiar with possession analytics, which help paint a picture about a player in terms of how often they’re gaining the offensive zone and driving possession,” Yorke explained. “There are other metrics and analytics we use to help paint a total picture on a player.”
Yorke also noted, “In my world and in passing this information along to Ronnie, we take a look at quantitative and qualitative data. You get an unbiased view, especially from a quantitative perspective. Numbers don’t lie.”
Analytics are just a part of the overall evaluation equation though.
“The main purpose of using quantitative data is to try to get an unbiased view on some things that your eyes don’t necessarily catch,” Yorke said. “We want to use everything. Combined with traditional scouting and video scouting, analytics can give you as much information as possible to find the best players.”