Carl Hagelin: 2020-21 season review

Carl Hagelin is like Game of Thrones. Compelling stuff, but woof on that finish.

By the Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows lots of information for the player over the season. A short description of each chart:

• Most common teammates during 5-on-5
• Ice time per game, split up by game state
• 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• Individual scoring events by the player
• 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts

Fan Happiness Survey

About this visualization: At three times during the season (end of January, end of March, and end of May), RMNB shared an open survey with fans, asking the following question for each player:

On a scale from 1 to 5, how HAPPY are you to have this player on the team?

1 means VERY UNHAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM
2 means UNHAPPY
3 means NEITHER HAPPY NOR UNHAPPY
4 means HAPPY
5 means VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM

The numbers above show the average score for the player in each survey period.

Peter’s Take

Carl Hagelin shot 7.1 percent which is only slightly below his career average. If you — like me — get frustrated when he has a gorgeous breakaway chance that he can’t convert, well, that’s just an “us” problem for having janky expectations. This is simply the player Hagelin is, and within that constraint he is marvelous.

I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed that Peter Laviolette settled Hagelin into fourth line duty exclusively, as his speed and play-making — err, let’s call it play-starting — are way above that of a grinder. Hathaway helped the fourth line in that respect as well, but I suspect Hagelin was the primary pusher of all those fun-but-fruitless rush chances they got. And with tons of respect to Hathaway and Dowd, I’d rather see forwards with more scoring talent get those looks, and I’d rather forwards with more puck possession struggles get Hagelin’s services.

Imagine a world in which Hagelin works to get the puck in the defensive zone, then helps the breakout along through neutral, and then instead of flubbing a shot he has an Oshie or Kuznetsov or even an Ovechkin to pass to, and that guy sinks it. It would be a lift in driving play for lines that need it, and plus I know I’d personally do a lot less swearing at the TV in that world.

Hags on RMNB

• Hagelin was ice cold for the first month of the season, having his first goal waved off before finally cracking the slump in Manhattan.
• Hagelin was involved in that mondo line brawl with the Rangers.
• Dowd on his success with Hagelin and Hathaway: “The biggest thing is staying consistent and continuing to build on what we do in the offensive zone. Obviously, we start quite a bit in the defensive zone so it’s important to win those faceoffs. As a line, we’ve done a good job along with the defensemen of getting out and getting down the ice. It’s nothing in particular. We’ve just done a good job of making space for each other and getting the net. We’ve had some fortunate bounces as well.”
• Meet Tage.
• Uh so I guess we didn’t write a ton about Hagelin this year? Here’s are some good tweets

when carl hagelin got his jab he had to warn the nurse that he’s allergic to scoring

— RMNB (@russianmachine) April 7, 2021

haha Hagelin had a scoring chance
okay buddy
whatever you say

— RMNB (@russianmachine) February 17, 2021

do any expected goals models take Carl Hagelin into account

— RMNB (@russianmachine) January 20, 2021

Why even pass to Carl Hagelin
That’s like when Tony Gillingham courted Lady Mary
It’s like c’mon brah
it’s not gonna happen

— RMNB (@russianmachine) January 16, 2021

Your Turn

Are you okay with it if Hagelin never becomes an elite finisher? Do you think his role above that of the fourth line?

Read more: Japers Rink