The Big Read: Revamped analytics department bridges disconnect between data, hockey ops
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The hirings of Matt Perri and Lee Stempniak reflect Alex Meruelo's continued investment in the team despite an assortment of COVID-related financial challenges
Honestly, I can't say enough how much I like the approach ownership and GMBA are taking. Revamping and rethinking the front office and staff from the ground up, breaking down our roster and regaining cap space and draft picks, and planning to capitalize when the two areas converge for a more successful attempt at a rebuild.
I get the frustration from some fans in seeing our team lose key pieces and play the rebuild game, but looking at the moves being made, I feel like this is the first time we're seeing a legitimate "everything" rebuild and not a stop-gap "let's try this again" rebuild.
No prospects, no draft picks, no salary space and lots of bad long term contracts. Everything else is rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. Armstrong can't even begin to rebuild this mess till they start getting picks in 2022. Chayka.... Obviously a huge scumbag after reading news out of Toronto that Bettman banned him till 2021.
Awesome article! This kind of thing is very interesting. Also, I have to say that the last three paragraphs make me very happy and give me hope for this organization and front office.
Reading through the quotes, I'd love to know if any teams consider social science as a piece of the puzzle in their analytics department. From what limited knowledge I have, their data-driven approach seems to come from data collected on the ice or in the gym rather than from talking to players and scientifically evaluating their language and behaviours. Often, questions of personality seem left to the interpretation of the coach, who themselves have unconscious bias and intrinsic flaws that affect objectivity.
The advantage of fields such as behavioural psychology is not just that they can go some way towards answering questions like "what drives guys", but that desirable behaviours can be augmented or influenced using a nudge here and there. Unfortunately, it's far more complex than simply saying "look at Garland and copy what he does".
Really good job of describing what the various job roles are and how the interact. That was my big question when all of these new hires/positions were announced.
Honestly, I can't say enough how much I like the approach ownership and GMBA are taking. Revamping and rethinking the front office and staff from the ground up, breaking down our roster and regaining cap space and draft picks, and planning to capitalize when the two areas converge for a more successful attempt at a rebuild.
I get the frustration from some fans in seeing our team lose key pieces and play the rebuild game, but looking at the moves being made, I feel like this is the first time we're seeing a legitimate "everything" rebuild and not a stop-gap "let's try this again" rebuild.
No prospects, no draft picks, no salary space and lots of bad long term contracts. Everything else is rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. Armstrong can't even begin to rebuild this mess till they start getting picks in 2022. Chayka.... Obviously a huge scumbag after reading news out of Toronto that Bettman banned him till 2021.
Craig - Can you contrast GMBA's approach with the sort of stat analysis that Chayka (and his former company Stathletes) did? Is there a difference?
Awesome article! This kind of thing is very interesting. Also, I have to say that the last three paragraphs make me very happy and give me hope for this organization and front office.
Thank goodness they've added Stempniak, finally there is someone in the org that knows that compete is a verb and competitiveness is the noun. 😁
Great article! I like what I've been seeing from the re structures.
Fascinating article, thanks Craig.
Reading through the quotes, I'd love to know if any teams consider social science as a piece of the puzzle in their analytics department. From what limited knowledge I have, their data-driven approach seems to come from data collected on the ice or in the gym rather than from talking to players and scientifically evaluating their language and behaviours. Often, questions of personality seem left to the interpretation of the coach, who themselves have unconscious bias and intrinsic flaws that affect objectivity.
The advantage of fields such as behavioural psychology is not just that they can go some way towards answering questions like "what drives guys", but that desirable behaviours can be augmented or influenced using a nudge here and there. Unfortunately, it's far more complex than simply saying "look at Garland and copy what he does".
Really good job of describing what the various job roles are and how the interact. That was my big question when all of these new hires/positions were announced.
Great article Craig.
Sounds like a great approach.