Here's a look around the league at the latest trends after another week of hockey. Some food for thought, some leftover stats and, of course, some fantasy advice. Let's dig in.
All fancy stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick.
We Are All Canadiens
The Canadiens have not played since March 20 due to COVID, but that didn't stop them from making headlines. On Friday, Eric Staal was acquired from the Sabres for third- and fifth-round picks, and Saturday, they signed 2019 first-round pick Cole Caufield to an entry-level contract.
Like everyone in Buffalo, Staal struggled with just three goals and 10 points in 32 games after a productive four seasons with the Wild, including a 42-goal season in 2017-18. Despite his mediocre production, Staal was actually one of the Sabres' most effective players with a 51.87 5v5 CF%; he was just one of five forwards to generate more shots than he allowed and suffered on a team that couldn't generate many scoring chances because it was stuck in its own zone all the time.
Poor shooting luck has been a recurring theme as well; entering Sunday, the Sabres' 5.62 5v5 S% is the lowest since Natural Stat Trick started recording the stat in the 2007-08 season. Staal's 5.1 S% is a career low; it's a step below his rookie season (11 goals in 81 games, 6.7 S%), his last season in Carolina (13 goals in 83 games, 6.5 S%) and well below his career average (11.2 S%). Staal's 8.8 differential between
