Positional Breakdown

We are 1/3 of the way through the 2018-19 NHL season. Most years I do a quick graph that shows where each team is getting their points, whether from goaltending, defence or forwards. This year I've added a bit more detail, splitting each team's top three forwards from their other six scoring roster forwards to show how reliant they are on top talent. Nobody's top three has more than their middle six but some teams are pretty close.

I only included the teams that have a shot. If you are intentionally tanking this doesn't matter to you. Nothing matters but cheering for your favourite players to not score, I guess.

Some observations: Most teams' top three forwards are about the same as others', with the exception of the Mackhawks who have Mikko Rantanen, who somehow leads the league in scoring (I double checked).

Marc-Andre Fleury's unsustainable play (five shutouts to date) is papering over a lot of poor performances on the Milan Micahleks' roster. If we didn't count goalies, the Rordiques would be in second place and the Micahleks would be 6th.

The Patrik Stefans have the best forward depth (as usual) but have the worst defence, second worst goaltending, and of course, worst combined defence and goaltending by a significant margin. Going with four defencemen was an interesting choice. All the other teams here have at least five except the Phillipsdelphia Flyers and I think they are intentionally tanking.

For all the fuss we make about goaltending having too much influence, so far only one netminder is anywhere close to keeping pace with the league's top scorers.