{"id":67186,"date":"2020-01-31T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T13:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=67186"},"modified":"2020-01-31T06:16:30","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T11:16:30","slug":"why-the-ottawa-senators-shouldnt-trade-dylan-demelo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/01\/31\/why-the-ottawa-senators-shouldnt-trade-dylan-demelo\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Ottawa Senators Shouldn’t Trade Dylan DeMelo"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ottawa Senators<\/a> have a very busy few weeks ahead<\/a> of them. Their NHL Trade Deadline won’t be as crazy as last year, however, they still have lots of potential pieces to move. Ron Hainsey<\/a>, Jean-Gabriel Pageau<\/a><\/strong>, and Tyler Ennis<\/a> <\/strong>are all UFA’s that could be gone. However, one of the names that have been floated recently is UFA defenceman Dylan DeMelo<\/a><\/strong>. Unless there is an offer you just can’t refuse, trading Dylan DeMelo would be a mistake for the Ottawa Senators.<\/p>\n

Dylan DeMelo Shouldn’t Be Moved<\/h2>\n

Underlying Numbers<\/h3>\n

This won’t all be about his underlying numbers, however, it is a good idea to understand what kind of player DeMelo is. He is a defence first type of guy who doesn’t stand out much. This is a good thing though, when he’s not standing out it usually means that he is making the correct play. He has played up and down the lineup this season. Starting the year on the third pair with Mark Borowiecki<\/a><\/strong>. However, he has also moved up and played alongside Thomas Chabot<\/a><\/strong> at times, especially when Hainsey is out.<\/p>\n

DeMelo’s numbers reflect someone who has absolutely earned more minutes for his team. This season, he has killed it when he has been on the ice. From Natural StatTrick<\/a>, he has a 52.61 CorsiFor% and a 56.42 ExpectedGoals%. This is first among any Sens defenceman who has more than 10 games played. He is also the only defenceman over 50% in CF% and the only other Sens defenceman in xGF% is Erik Brannstrom<\/a><\/strong>, who is just at 50%.<\/p>\n

When DeMelo is on the ice, the Senators control play. Both in shot share but also the quality of attempts. His Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes is also the lowest among Sens defenceman. He lets up 2.17 xG against per every 60 minutes played. This ranks 76th in the entire league for defenceman. When he is on the ice, the Senators just don’t let anything up.<\/p>\n

Charts<\/h3>\n

If you need any more proof that DeMelo is good at what he does, let’s take a look at some visuals. The first chart is from HockeyViz<\/a> and it shows the quality of chances the Senators give up when Dylan DeMelo is on the ice vs off of it.<\/p>\n

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The difference here is staggering. Now, it’s not like Ottawa has a lot of defensively strong players anyways. However, the ability for DeMelo to keep shots away from the front of the net, especially the right side where he plays is incredible. Compare it to what happens when he is off the ice and you get a very different story.<\/p>\n

Below, is another chart from Evolving-Hockey<\/a>. This chart shows Corsi, xG for and against, and goals for all per 60 minutes. It is compared to Hainsey just to give a sense of what other Senators defenceman looks like.<\/p>\n

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Once again, DeMelo is positive in everything. In fact, he is over one standard deviation above the mean in every category this graph shows. Numbers are not everything, but when you can consistently put up above-average numbers like this it certainly tells part of the story. More than you can tell from just simply looking at his point totals.<\/p>\n

Dylan DeMelo is the Ideal Partner For Chabot<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest reasons to keep Dylan DeMelo around is that his role in Ottawa for at least another year or two is so obvious. Let him play alongside Thomas Chabot. This works perfectly for a few reasons. The first is that their styles match up perfectly. Chabot loves to run wild and create transitions and offence. Whereas DeMelo can cover up for him and help him in his own end, where he really struggles. It’s the same idea that Ottawa always had with Erik Karlsson<\/a><\/strong> and Marc Methot<\/a><\/strong>. One can go out and produce while the other one plays a much quieter but still important role. Its plays like the one he makes below that make him such a good fit for Chabot. His awareness on the defensive side of the game can fit perfectly.<\/p>\n

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Perfect clip of how weak-side D can come across and kill rushes (or even touches) when forwards don\u2019t have support, courtesy Dylan DeMelo. pic.twitter.com\/qfxxyQzS0f<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) January 29, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n