Anaheim Ducks: Hampus Lindholm shines bright

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm is not a big name league-wide, but he is a very impressive all-around player.

One of the most underrated qualities in the NHL today, is the ability to perform all over the ice. All-around players are harder to spot than offensive or defensive dynamos, but they can often be just as important. One guy who really embodies this is Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm.

When people are asked to name players on the Ducks, they probably think of guys like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler. This, well, shouldn’t be the case. Lindholm is just as deserving of recognition.

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Even though he played most of the season on Anaheim’s first defensive pairing along with Josh Manson, his name rarely comes up in general hockey conversations. Lindholm is a talented defenseman and is able to succeed wherever he happens to be on the ice. Now being paid at a cap hit of $5.2 million per year, the Ducks have clearly realized what kind of player he is.

When his advanced stats are taken into full context, it can be argued that he is one of the top defensemen in the western conference. These are some bold statements, so let’s take a deeper look at them.

Lindholm last season

Now having played five full seasons with the Ducks, Lindholm has consistently performed well on either end of the ice. In 2017-18, his offensive game began to really excel.

Lindholm scored 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 69 games, putting him on a career-high 37 point pace. However, his point totals only tell a small part of the entire story.  Advanced stats-wise, he really shines. His very presence makes the Ducks a significantly superior team.

Throughout his entire career, he is still yet to post a sub-50 percent CorsiFor percentage in a season. Specificall , after the 2014-15 season, he has been one of the top possession players on the Ducks.

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Graph is from nces.ed.gov

Despite his CorsiFor percentage dipping off a bit over the last 2 seasons, his relative CorsiFor percentage has remained positive each season. Relative to the team, he is doing a lot better. In short, when he’s on the ice, the Ducks have the puck a lot more – exactly to be expected from an all-around talent.

In this specific situation, however, Corsi is not the only indicator of his all-around ability. In terms of creating shot opportunities, entering the opposing team’s zone, exiting the defensive zone and more, Lindholm is far above average.

He helps to create 76 shots per 60 minutes, has an 86 offensive zone entry with possession percentage, he exits the defensive zone with possession 88 percent of the time and is fantastic at breaking up plays, at a pretty incredible 88 per 60 minutes.

All over the ice, this guy is everywhere. His ability to extend himself all over the ice is quite a rare one, and the Ducks are lucky to have someone like him.

A lot of players who have the potential to be great all-around talents can often tend to focus on the area of the game that they are the very best at. This allows their percentages in other areas to fall.

If he wanted, Lindholm could probably be a fantastic offensive defenseman. If he wanted, he could be a fantastic defensive defenseman. His percentages certainly reflect this. However, he is showcasing his abilities all over the ice, instead of only showing up in one zone.

This may result in him not getting the recognition he deserves. As mentioned, fans tend to focus on players who are specifically either offensively or ddefensively-talented. However, Lindholm’s style of play undoubtedly is better for his team. The truth that he isn’t more widely recognized for his stellar all-around play is astonishing.

Conclusion

The fact that Lindholm isn’t better known throughout the league points to a bigger problem. Players just aren’t recognized for outstanding all-around play. If you’re not a master of one zone, you’re often swept under the rug as an average player, even if a cursory look at advanced stats suggest otherwise.

As fans, I think we should do a better job at recognizing players like Lindholm. He certainly is of an uncommon sort, but there are undeniably other players like him. All-around players are rarely considered stars, and this should change.

In the meantime, the Anaheim Ducks and their fans should enjoy the gem they have.