Best of the Nation – 11.11.12

Photo: Hakan Dahlstrom/Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0

It’s Hockey Hall of Fame week, so we lead off with a question: should the Canucks retire Pavel Bure’s jersey? From there, the conversation goes all over – NHL equivalencies, the impact of the lockout on AHL attendance, whether rebuilding actually works, the U.S. presidential election, how to win an Evander Kane autographed stick and jersey, NHL ’13, puckhogs, the demise (or exaggerated demise?) of the Sedins and much more.

Does Pavel Bure deserve to have his number retired? Canucks Army makes the ‘no’ argument, but they don’t seem fully convinced by it. [Canucks Army]

Error bars for NHL Equivalencies. We’ve all seen those NHL Equivalencies batted around, but how accurate are they really? Eric T. digs into the numbers to show how often those equivalencies turn out to be accurate. It’s a fascinating piece, and the results may surprise. [NHL Numbers]

Comparing U.S. politics to the NHL. But in a funny, Graphic Comments-ey way. [Canucks Army]

Nate Silver, the U.S. election, and sports. This also compares the U.S. election to hockey, but less in a funny, Graphic Comments-ey way and more in a ‘how one applies to the other’ way. [Leafs Nation]

How often does rebuilding actually work? While Canucks fans can safely ignore this piece for a few more years, unfortunately this question is of direct application for followers of the Oilers, Flames, Jets and Leafs. [NHL Numbers]

Allsvenskan NHL Equivalence. With the lockout, it seems like every team has some player stranded in some far-flung league where NHL talent rarely goes. One of those is the Allsvenskan, the second-tier Swedish league. The worst teams from the Swedish Elite League, (Elitserien) are relegated to the Allsvenskan. Unfortunately, we don’t have a league translation for the Allsvenskan, so Kent Wilson came up with one by himself. [Flames Nation]

Did the Sedins lose a step last season? For Canucks fans, it’s one of the greatest fears they have about their hockey team. For non-Canucks fans, it’s a quietly whispered hope every off-season. Is it happening? While Cam Charron doesn’t call Thomas Drance and ignorant slut, we have two long, considered and opposing pieces on that very question. [Canucks Army/Canucks Army]

Who is hogging the puck? Who should be? Another interesting dive into the numbers, this time to try and find which players should be shooting more and which could stand to make an extra pass or two. A guy who played for the Oilers tops the list, but it’s not the one who comes to mind first… [NHL Numbers]

Interested in a signed Evander Kane jersey/stick? The Winnipeg Jets star really wants a new Twitter display, and whoever comes up with the best one will earn the stick, jersey, and undoubtedly his undying affection. [Jets Nation]

Is the NHL lockout helping AHL attendance? The Oklahoma City Barons gain Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz over a single off-season. At the same time, their attendance totals drop by 15 percent. Hmm. Other AHL teams, however, are making out like bandits. [NHL Numbers]

A pair of really cool 10-game studies on the Maple Leafs. Gus Katsaros, the scouting coordinator with McKeen’s Hockey, goes back over the Maple Leafs’ 2011-12 season and does some really cool 10-game segment breakdowns. [Leafs Nation/Leafs Nation]

Goaltender usage. Is it a good idea for teams to grab one good goalie and have him play every possible minute while Goalie McBackup rides the pine? Or does a tandem make more sense? A study of the totals of NHL teams is suggestive. [NHL Numbers]

Podcasts! Missing Nation Radio? Here the ‘So you’re an Expert?’ podcast. [Canucks Army]

How much do zonestarts matter? It’s clear that starting shifts in the offensive/defensive zone has a significant impact on a player’s ability to generate shots/prevent shots against, but how much impact? [NHL Numbers]

NHL ’13 glitches: “I can’t touch the puck!” Clever, EA Sports, every clever. Why program a highly complex artificial intelligence when Matt Lombardi can simply be turned into Swiss cheese? [Leafs Nation]

Reference Library: Prospects. The most recent part of the ongoing reference library project, designed to collect the most influential statistical work done on various subjects, covers what we know about prospects. [NHL Numbers]

Wondering how the Barons have done? I’ve been able to watch all of Oklahoma’s games this season; here is my view of the roster through the first 10 games. [Oilers Nation]