Pittsburgh Penguins: Brandon Sutter’s Numbers Tell the Real Story
By Mike Necciai
Brandon Sutter is always a big topic among the Pittsburgh Penguins faithful. Analytics people hate him, but more traditional fans see his goal totals and penalty kill ability and think fairly highly of him.
More from Penguins News
- Welcome To The Burgh: Lars Eller
- Penguins Waddle Toward The Season
- Farewell Carl Hagelin
- Penguins Line-up Breakdown vs Stanley Cup Champs Vegas
- Ryan Graves Solid Signing For The Pittsburgh Penguins
I want to take a look at Sutter’s overall performance, both with analytics and standard statistics such as goals, assists, and points. What kind of impact does he have on his line mates? Does he deserve all the criticism he takes?
Last season, Sutter scored 21 goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4 of which were scored shorthanded. While those shorties were impressive, he has had ups and downs in shorthanded goals throughout his career. There simply isn’t enough consistency to bank on that asset year-in and year-out.
Also worth mentioning, out of his 21 goals last season, 9 of them were scored on non-playoff teams. It isn’t easy to score in the NHL no matter who your opponent is, but when you’re justifying a player’s performance by citing his goal total, I’d hope to see him be more productive against better teams.
Another one of Sutter’s perceived strength’s is his ability to kill penalties. I did an article in the past suggesting that players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin should be getting time on the PK, and I don’t necessarily believe it should be looked at as a unique skill. If Sutter is capable of potting 4 while shorthanded, what could Sid and Geno do?
Sutter’s possession numbers are intriguing on the PK. He led the team in corsi-for per 60 minutes with a 10.1. Basically, he generated the most shot attempts while shorthanded. But, when it comes to suppressing shots, he boasted the worst corsi-against per 60 minutes with a 108.85. You can’t base your opinion on one metric, especially considering the situation that we’re talking about. However, when you take all of his numbers into account his lack of two-way ability stands out.
What kind of impact did Sutter have on his line mates?
Steve Downie is the only player that remained consistent alongside Sutter. It’s tough to find value in a player that has this kind of negative impact on those around him.
Ownthepuck.blogspot.ca does a great job with their HERO charts. And, once again, the numbers for Brandon Sutter are pretty terrifying.
Many have asked why there are so many people that have an issue with Sutter’s performance. His goal total for last season was great, and for a team that struggled to score goals down the stretch it was definitely welcomed. But, considering this season is an outlier and his norm seems to be in the low to mid teens, is that something you can hang your hat on? Will he top 20 goals again?
I’m not surprised in the least that the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t move Sutter yet. All indications were that Jim Rutherford was set on moving him this summer, but were there any takers? I imagine that acquiring Phil Kessel for next to nothing in terms of roster players came into play as well, but it isn’t out of the question that NHL GM’s simply don’t want him.
Sutter does deserve the criticism that he receives. He’s an opportunist and may find the net from time to time, but his lack of two-way effectiveness and inconsistent scoring are both major issues. If we were talking about a fourth line center making $1 million per year, it’s a different story.
Will playing with Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz help to improve his overall performance, or will it hurt theirs? If those three are indeed occupying the Pittsburgh Penguins third line, we’ll find out pretty quickly. Though Kunitz struggled last season, both are solid possession players and can create chances with their speed. Let’s hope that Sutter isn’t the anchor that holds them down.
Next: Offseason Grades: Chris Kunitz