Remember that blog that RW wrote when Jason Botterill left?


This has a similar flavor...
- Beatnic57

I was thinking the same. Botterill was King at that time!

Always confuses me why people think Burke doesn’t use analytics. (Which is completely false) Maybe it’s cuz he’s old? Maybe it’s cuz he likes physical players to? 99.9 % of people know analytics is helpful but clearly you can’t solely make a team based off that. It’s a mix and I’m sure always will be.
There isn’t 1 team in the league that has more personal in analytics then direct scouting (and it isn’t even close) if people are so worried about that graph showing analytics hires.

Wilson using 1 quote from Burke that he said like 9 years ago is straight trash as usual hahaha I listened to Burke talk in person for 4 days in class which pretty much made this entire blog straight garbage.

Good little listen starts at about the 4:30 mark and is close to what he told our class…

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...ghs-importance-analytics/

They fired everyone because we have sucked for 10 years
They have traded for expensive players
Ror. Bogo. Kane

They have signed expensive free agents
Leino. Hall eurhoff

Tried signing Babcock to 50 million deal

Put over 1 million in locker room

Cheap is not the problem
Not hiring the right people
And being involved in hockey descion is

Anyways just came here to read up on the guy we hired

And I love me some primanti brothers
- Anderdog

Didn't they sit everyone down and say it was because their yacht was getting expensive?

You can’t blame mr Wilson for using his platform to buoy up those getting roles in analytics… the more it grows the more his dreams of landing a role doing said number crunching for a professional organization.

I sincerely hope it works for him. It would be great for him and every pen fan on hockeybuzz. A true win win.

Didn't they sit everyone down and say it was because their yacht was getting expensive?
- awtr

Heard that one to

All I can say is they fired 20 something employees
Some were here along time with no results
They weren't the only sports team to do it

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...ghs-importance-analytics/
- pens4life-66

Good find. Nothing crazy in there. Analytics adds perspective over time and helps to separate the repeatable from chance. It's also a limited window and can be misused or misunderstood.

A good example from Moneyball was the coach trying to tell Hattenberg he should swing on more first pitches because his BA was so high on those. Scott Hattenberg knew perfectly well that he only swung on first pitches that he could not pass up. Changing behavior would undermine the real causal effect.

There are plenty of hockey equivalents, and "shoot more" is one of them, chasing a metric directly is not usually the smart move. You can talk to coaches about why they do things a certain way. Often, something that works at one level fails when the game gets bigger, faster, and closer. There is a contextual understanding beyond the raw numbers. Smart analytics people, like Sam, get this.

I’m sure he’s good at his job but I would say those Stanley cup runs we all got to enjoy had a lot more to do with Rutherford than Ventura. At the end of the day every GM in the league goes with his gut feeling.

I’m sure he’s good at his job but I would say those Stanley cup runs we all got to enjoy had a lot more to do with Rutherford than Ventura. At the end of the day every GM in the league goes with his gut feeling.
- Grinder47

As they should, that's why they are the General Managers and the analytics guys are under them.

You really need to do a fact check with yourself. I’m not a Pegula fan (is any Sabres fan?), but your interpretation of their budget maneuvers is not accurate.

Remember that blog that RW wrote when Jason Botterill left?


This has a similar flavor...
- Beatnic57

Lol you win the board for the day.

Who knows what Ventura ultimately contributed good or bad? Pretty sure he didn't even start working with the team full time until after the 2 Cups.

The Penguins as an organization have turned away from analytics.
I cant presume to know how large or small a roll Ventura or Karmanos had when they were here.
But I do know the Pens hired Burke who has a strong disdain for the analytics community. We also know Burke has publicly stated he wants to get away from speed and skill and move toward size size and more size. It's not hard to put 2 and 2 together.
The Pens need to get on board with analytics before they get left in the dust by the rest of the league. In no way does that mean they need to go full Coyotes and hire an analytics only nerd to run hockey ops. But completely disregarding analytics is absolutely the wrong move. I dont understand what is so wrong about using analytics to help evaluate what you see with your own eyes, especially when the numbers and stats dont lie.
- Amanion

I heard a Burke interview last month. He flat out stated the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to change their identity of speed and skill. He simply said they need to add a size component to their game. He also fully admitted it can be tough to find bigger players that can still play the speed/skill game and that it will take time to add those players. There's not going to be some dramatic push to add big plugs.

Lol you win the board for the day.

Who knows what Ventura ultimately contributed good or bad? Pretty sure he didn't even start working with the team full time until after the 2 Cups.
- Tojo.

Either way, he was involved in conversations about acquiring players like that episode from In the Room that had them discussing players to target in Free Agency, and it was just those 3 talking so they obviously cared about his opinion enough to be brought in on those conversations with the GM and coach.

I heard a Burke interview last month. He flat out stated the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to change their identity of speed and skill. He simply said they need to add a size component to their game. He also fully admitted it can be tough to find bigger players that can still play the speed/skill game and that it will take time to add those players. There's not going to be some dramatic push to add big plugs.
- madmike71

Yeah I listened to that interview too, it was a good interview.

I heard a Burke interview last month. He flat out stated the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to change their identity of speed and skill. He simply said they need to add a size component to their game. He also fully admitted it can be tough to find bigger players that can still play the speed/skill game and that it will take time to add those players. There's not going to be some dramatic push to add big plugs.
- madmike71

B-b-but he's old and a "hockey guy" who likes players who can hit. That means he's totally dismissive of analytics and despises skilled players. Get with the program.

B-b-but he's old and a "hockey guy" who likes players who can hit. That means he's totally dismissive of analytics and despises skilled players. Get with the program.
- jmatchett383

His team in 06-07 was highly skilled,fast and led the league in fighting majors while only playing Parros like 30 games in the regular season. They did have Brad May though who was a much more affective player hockey wise. The team also petitioned to have Parros name on the cup. Just like the Pens did with Godard.

His team in 06-07 was highly skilled,fast and led the league in fighting majors while only playing Parros like 30 games in the regular season. They did have Brad May though who was a much more affective player hockey wise. The team also petitioned to have Parros name on the cup. Just like the Pens did with Godard.
- Grinder47

I would too, all the guys work hard and dedicate their life for the cup.