Wyshynski: How the NHL’s player-tracking data made it to fans
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
Hockey fans are now able to see which NHL players are among the league’s fastest (and slowest) — and not just at the All-Star skills competition.
“Top skating speed” is one of a dozen advanced analytics tabulated on the NHL EDGE stats site. It’s the league’s new clearinghouse for puck- and player-tracking data, published for public consumption for the first time. Provided the public has the patience to consume it.
Finding out who’s the fastest forward in the NHL? Pretty easy. The top 10 players for each NHL EDGE analytic are updated on the front page of the stats site. We know that Winnipeg Jets center Rasmus Kupari hit 23.95 mph in the second period of an Oct. 17 game against the Los Angeles Kings, putting him at the top for top skating speed this season.
Finding out who has the lowest top skating speed this season is not as easy. It took me over two hours, searching player by player, pulling down each menu around 450 times, to determine that Travis Boyd of the Arizona Coyotes topped out at just 19.53 mph, the slowest “top speed” of any NHL forward through Monday’s games.
That’s a lot of effort to find a Travis Boyd stat, if we’re being honest.
NHL EDGE gives us some context about Kupari that we don’t get for Boyd. The Jets forward’s top speed puts him in the 99th percentile among all NHL forwards. But for below-average skaters like Boyd, their percentile is listed as “below 50th” in that category — the same designation given to any player who is under the 50th percentile for any NHL EDGE analytic.
To be clear, it’s not like this for traditional on-ice stats. I can find out in a matter of seconds who has the worst plus/minus rating in the NHL: Forward Filip Zadina with a minus-14, one of many, many San Jose Sharks currently in contention for that dishonor. Zadina is not “below 50th” among peers. He’s last overall, out of 699 players. In another sport, ESPN’s QBR stat for NFL quarterbacks readily showcases the best and worst in the metric.
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Adam Rittenberg
Pitt freshman football player Mason Alexander was killed Saturday night in a car accident in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana.
Alexander, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, he was a passenger in a 2016 BMW driving south on Florida Road. The driver of the car tried to pass a 2015 Toyota before a hillcrest and swerved to avoid a head-on collision with another car traveling in the northbound lane. The BMW traveled off the road and eventually hit a tree, catching on fire.
Alexander starred at cornerback for Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, near Indianapolis, and was an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2025 class. He signed with Pitt in December, enrolled early and was set to join the team for the start of spring practice this month.
“I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher or coach ever wants to get — the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. “Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander’s passing.
“Mason had just enrolled at Pitt in January following his early graduation from Indiana’s Hamilton Southeastern High School. Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us. Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family. He will always be a Panther to us. The Alexander family and Mason’s many loved ones and friends will be in our prayers.”
Peyton Daniels, a high school teammate of Alexander’s who plays at Butler, posted about his friend on X, writing, “Mason lit up every room he was in. Brought joy and playfulness to everything and everyone. He could change the entire direction of your day with one interaction. Mason is the embodiment of exceptional. Rest Easy 15. Love forever.”
It’s hard to find the words to say right now. Mason lit up every room he was in. Brought joy and playfulness to everything and everyone. He could change the entire direction of your day with one interaction. Mason is the embodiment of exceptional. Rest Easy 15. Love forever.š¤ pic.twitter.com/FptDR74MSN
ā Peyton Daniels (@daniels_peyton) March 2, 2025
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Ryan S. Clark
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Greg Wyshynski
The NHL trade deadline for the 2024-25 season is not until March 7, but teams have not waited until the last minute to make major moves.
For every significant trade that occurs during the season, you’ll find a grade for it here, the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks swapping goaltenders, Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues, Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, the blockbuster deal sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes and Martin Necas to the Avalanche, J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers, and the Canucks staying busy and getting Marcus Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
March 1 featured three big trades, with Ryan Lindgren headed to the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild adding Gustav Nyquist, and Seth Jones joining the Florida Panthers.
Read on for grades from Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski, and check back the next time a big deal breaks.
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