The Hockey PDOcast

Friend of The Podcast Mike Johnson joins the show to gush about the Dallas Stars after having just called one of their games for the first time this season. We also discuss whether the perceived 'East Coast bias' is a real thing, where Drew Doughty stacks up in the Norris discussion, and the psychology of what's going through a player's head when there's a coaching change. Every episode of this po...

We set our sights on the situation unfolding in Columbus in which John Tortorella has, to the surprise of absolutely no one, healthy scratched his best player in a misguided attempt to try and prove a point. We also discuss whether there's been any tangible difference in their level of play since the Blue Jackets made the coaching change, and wonder much of the blame Jarmo Kekäläinen should be tak...

Jen Lute Costella joins the show to discuss the tracking project she presented at the RIT Hockey Analytics Conference earlier in the season, and the main takeaways she gleaned from it about how different player types work together. We also look into how Artemi Panarin and his creativity have been a breath of fresh air for the league, and how the Chicago Blackhawks stack up against some of the othe...

We adopt the Los Angeles Kings, who are not only quickly distancing themselves from everyone else in the Pacific division but doing so by controlling 5-on-5 play at a historic rate. We also discuss the recent trade between the Blackhawks and Penguins, how no GM is immune from making bad decisions, and whether the Jets should aim to keep Dustin Byfuglien or Andrew Ladd (or potentially both). Every...

Jonathan Willis takes some time from his frenetic writing schedule to discuss Taylor Hall's ascension towards becoming one of the league's most dominant wingers, and what Edmonton's most optimal forward deployment will look like once they're fully healthy up front. We also look into how the blame for the struggles in Pittsburgh this season should be divvied up, and the precarious position the Ligh...

In this episode of the podcast we eventually get around to adopting both the Coyotes and Capitals as promised. But before we get there, we take some time to discuss Alex Semin's departure from the NHL and how his brief stint in Montreal is hardly an indictment against analytics. There's a meaty conversation about roster construction, taking calculated risks, and how easy it should be to incorporat...

Kent Wilson stops by to discuss how and why the Calgary Flames have fallen back down to earth this season after last year's playoff run. Beyond just their expected rudimentary possession struggles, we take a deeper look at a few other other factors doing them in including goaltending, and a highly questionable transition game out of their own zone. You can listen to every episode of this podcast o...

We look at the NHL's reignited plans for expansion from as many angles as possible based on the information we currently have. How will the draft itself differ from the one held all the way back in 2000, which types of rules can be put into place to even the playing field for the new organizations, and will the looming possibility of this actually coming to pass influence how teams approach this c...