clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Jason Strudwick, The Least-Shootinest Gun In the West. And NHL. Since 1998.

By Derek Zona
<strong>Pass. </strong> (Photo by Dale MacMillan/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved. via <a href="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/f/5/a/1/San_Jose_Sharks_6e35.jpg?adImageId=13024050&imageId=4487361">cdn.picapp.com</a>
Pass. (Photo by Dale MacMillan/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved. via cdn.picapp.com

Last week, I looked at Jason Strudwick's struggles to shoot the puck this year and his place in history.  Bruce, as is his wont to do about once a month, had a great idea. "The other key factor when considering goons is TOI...Without going through every other season on the list, I suspect Strudwick’s 0.93 shots/60 is the lowest."  Put this list together by time on ice, he said.  Strudwick would be the worst, he said.  Bruce was indeed correct.

The NHL began recording time on ice stats in 1998, so we have eleven seasons of data to work with. Listed below are the twenty-five worst shots on goal seasons since 1998, ordered by shots per sixty minutes of time on ice.  I normally prefer measuring these types of statistics per fifteen minutes of time on ice, but the per sixty measurement tells both a sad and hilarious story.

Player Team GP YR1 ES TOI SH SH/15 SH/60
Jason Strudwick Edmonton Oilers 72 2009 1219 19 0.234 0.935
Jassen Cullimore Chicago Blackhawks 65 2006 1058 17 0.241 0.964
Nolan Pratt Tampa Bay Lightning 82 2005 1475 26 0.264 1.058
Sean O'Donnell Anaheim Ducks 82 2007 1413 25 0.265 1.062
Jason Strudwick Vancouver Canucks 63 1999 958 18 0.282 1.127
Sean O'Donnell Los Angeles Kings 82 2008 1680 32 0.286 1.143
Adam Foote Colorado Avalanche 61 2009 1296 26 0.301 1.203
Mark Eaton Nashville Predators 69 2005 1361 28 0.309 1.234
Rich Pilon New York Rangers 69 2000 1164 24 0.309 1.237
Marc Bergevin Pittsburgh Penguins 69 2002 1295 27 0.313 1.251
Steve Eminger Washington Capitals 68 2006 1288 27 0.314 1.258
Radoslav Suchy Columbus Blue Jackets 79 2005 1574 33 0.314 1.258
Rob Scuderi Pittsburgh Penguins 71 2007 1331 28 0.316 1.262
Rob Scuderi Pittsburgh Penguins 78 2006 1467 31 0.317 1.268
Terry Carkner Florida Panthers 62 1998 1130 25 0.332 1.327
Mattias Norstrom Los Angeles Kings 79 2001 1819 42 0.346 1.385
David Harlock Atlanta Thrashers 65 2000 1109 26 0.352 1.407
Nolan Pratt Tampa Bay Lightning 81 2006 1279 30 0.352 1.407
Jeff Finley St. Louis Blues 74 1999 1318 31 0.353 1.411
Kurt Sauer Phoenix Coyotes 68 2008 1402 33 0.353 1.412
Scott Lachance Columbus Blue Jackets 77 2003 1461 35 0.359 1.437
Stan Neckar Tampa Bay Lightning 77 2001 1580 38 0.361 1.443
Brooks Orpik Pittsburgh Penguins 79 2008 1606 39 0.364 1.457
Karl Dykhuis Montreal Canadiens 65 2002 975 24 0.369 1.477
Garnet Exelby Atlanta Thrashers 79 2007 1492 37 0.372 1.488

 

Strudwick's 2009-2010 shot rates are the lowest in the the league since 1998.  He failed to put one shot on goal per sixty minutes of ice time.  Strudwick's 1999 season is fifth on the list at 1.1 per sixty.  Looking at the worst 100 seasons since 1998, there is a bunch of entries labeled Nolan Pratt, Sean O'Donnell, Rob Scuderi and our man Strudwick.  And Tambellini wants Strudwick to be our latex salesman - according to the local media, it's a sure bet Strudwick will be back.

Strudwick wasn't alone this year though - Adam Foote from the Colorado Avalanche managed just 1.2 shots per sixty, the seventh-worst rate in the league since 1998.  The Avs also had Scott Hannan at 1.8 shots per sixty, among the fifty worst rates in the league since '98.  Want to build a foundation of a team that gets historically outshot?  Start with two defensemen that don't shoot the puck.