Dispatches from the Waiver Wire: Josh Jooris

Photo Credit: Adam Hunger – USA TODAY Sports

Josh Jooris isn’t an especially imposing player physically, or even on the score sheet for that matter. He does his job in an efficient, unnoticeable manner that adds value on a nightly basis. At the very worst, he’s a plug and play forward capable of straddling centre or wing responsibilities on any given line.

The New York Rangers, like the Calgary Flames before them, haven’t any use for such a player, apparently. At least that’s the implications made in this Chris Johnston report, which indicates the Rangers have placed Jooris on waivers for the purpose of reassignment.

This claim, like countless others before it, is a slam dunk for the Canucks concerning roster composition. Given the players they’ve passed on previously, though, we know that’s likely not enough to shake them from their waiver wire reluctance. Then again, there’s a degree of familiarity here, so I wouldn’t discount the possibility of a claim entirely.

You know the drill. All hands on deck, let’s dive in.

The Rangers have struggled territorially as a team this season. Perhaps nobody more so on an individual level than Jooris. Among Rangers skaters, Jooris has the lowest Corsi For at an appalling 37.7%. That’s south of the Mendoza Line for an even semi-competent hockey player. Talk about a poor fit.

I’d caution against placing too much stock in that particular data set, though. We’re talking a 12 game sample on a new team.

Historically, Jooris has been a rapacious shot share player. He’s never broke even by raw metrics, but playing for the puck-starved Flames for much of his career, that’s hardly something I would hold against him. He’s been a negligibly positive or negative possession force playing alongside the worst in the Flames bottom six.

Based on my neutral zone data last season, it’s easy to see how Jooris tilts the ice in the face of daunting circumstances. He’s a one-man transition team, as his third-highest Zone Entry Burden% can attest (a stat which looks at the percentage of on-ice zone entries each player is accountable for).

Where I’d expect Jooris to make his most profound impact, though, is on the Canucks penalty kill. In his last two seasons with the Flames, Jooris had the best impact on his teammates’ ability to limit goals, with a SH GA60 Rel. Tm of -3.49 and the second-best ability on his teammates’ ability to limit shot attempts and unblocked shot attempts.

Jooris may not be an even remotely dangerous player offensively, but his impact from the confines of his team’s blue line are such that he’s still a significant net positive. At least that’s the suggestion one can reasonably make based on his body of work to date.

That’s something we can’t say about Jack Skille, Michael Chaput or Jayson Megna. These are players that, for better or worse, simply occupy a roster space. The Canucks signed each of them with the Utica Comets in mind this off-season and any suggestion to the contrary is wholly disingenuous.

If the Canucks actually believe in the importance of a winning environment as part of their developmental plan, adding Jooris makes their NHL club better, if only slightly, and frees up one of these depth players to make a significant impact on the Utica Comets.

With all respect to Curtis Valk, I imagine Jake Virtanen is best served with Michael Chaput playing the role of setup man on that top line.

It’s a win-win in every respect. And we know based on the history Canucks Assistant General Manager John Weisbrod has with Jooris, there’s a better-than-zero chance Vancouver would consider such a move. Even recent history suggests the Canucks front office has some interest in Jooris. They were in the hunt for him this summer, after all.

So, hell, why not?