Today’s NHL, like most sports, is becoming increasingly obsessed with numbers. And it’s for a good reason: numbers are fantastic. They give us concrete validation for what we notice and allow us to dive deep into performance analysis. Metrics such as “Shots For %” and “Points Per 60 Minutes” offer us a lens to judge players with whether the goals and assists are there or not. They allow us to analyze players over sample sizes and create meaningful discussion on a player’s impact beneath the surface.

But like you, I’m a hockey fan. And as hockey fans we all watch the games, we all have players we like, players we notice, and, numbers or no numbers, we tend to like certain players for certain things and dislike certain players for other things. You notice sometimes a calm play behind the net by a player and think “hey, I like that guy.”

So let’s throw away the numbers for today, and use the good old fashioned eye test.

Here are some players that have caught my eye:

Joel Armia

It started at towards the end of last year once Andrew Ladd got traded that Joel Armia began showing some of the tools he possesses. He’s able to shift the puck from forehand to backhand quickly, and has such a soft set of hands that allows him to use efficient toe drags to maneuver the opposition’s sticks. He has been one of the few players able to fly through the neutral zone and gain what has been a rarity for the Jets: a controlled zone entry.

I don’t know what Armia did this off-season, but his hands looks softer than ever. His head is up more, and he has much more confidence than he did last year. It’s funny how quickly people cast off first round picks who aren’t prodding for an NHL job when they’re 20 or 21, and power forward types such as Armia are perfect examples of why patience is key. This season, at age 23, Armia will play his first full season in the NHL. He’s improved on a week-to-week basis, and I’m very curious to see what type of player he is when he’s 26, 27 years old. He was drafted as a future top 6 winger, and even though he’s taken a bit of time, I think that outcome is still a very real possibility.

His game last Tuesday against Dallas was the best I’d ever seen him play. He has a fantastic defensive stick and it looks like him, Matthias, and Lowry are building an identity as a line that this team sorely needs. The guys that score the goals get the glory, but this line has consistently played in the offensive zone, tiring out opposing defenders and generating offensive zone faceoffs for the big guns to work with.

Right now Armia is firmly entrenched as the team’s 3rd line right winger, but I expect him to get an opportunity with some more offensive guys once in a while as the season progresses.

Patrik Laine

Ahh yes. The 2nd overall lottery win. The gift from the hockey gods. The reason we should all thank Auston Matthews for being born so that we could get a franchise winger at second overall.

I anticipate writing this young man’s name a lot over the next 15 years – so long as he doesn’t get the sudden urge to really really want to be a right defenceman.

Everyone sees the shot. But what’s really impressed me is how quick he goes forehand-backhand-pass. He reminds me of Kovalchuk in the way that he plays his off wing with a ridiculous wrister, but there’s a key difference in the way they pass: Kovalchuk would fly at top speed and then stop suddenly and use his forehand to search out his linemate. Laine, however, gets his body in the way of the defender, switches to his backhand, and finds a streaking teammate.

I think the ability to use the backhand is a huge indicator of the skill and strength of your hands, and at just 18 years old there is tons of room for him to grow as a playmaker.

Yeah, he’s got a hell of a shot. An absolute bomb. But we saw it in the first game with the cross seam pass to Wheeler to tie the game that there is some vision and awareness there.

The $130 million he makes in his career (or whatever it’ll be) will be because he scores goals, but I wouldn’t sleep on his playmaking skills either.

Josh Morrissey

Defencemen are harder to describe in the way that they impact a game. In many cases, the less you notice them, the better they’re playing. With Josh Morrissey, it’s been the opposite. I notice him multiple times per game – generally for good things.

It’s a little less sexy to talk about an effective defender – he isn’t doing spin-o-ramas like P.K. Subban and he doesn’t have a booming clapper like Dustin Byfuglien, but given he’s played just under 3 hours of ice time in his whole NHL career, he is doing a lot of positive stuff out there.

What I never expected is the level of physicality he brings. He’s had some great body checks along at the blue line against the boards – and more importantly – a tight gap that allows him to angle his opponent into no man’s land. His ability to read the play in all 3 zones is the type of stuff scouts go crazy over. It’s incredibly difficult to teach hockey sense and in many cases your hockey sense is part of what determines your “ceiling” as an NHL professional.

Morrissey has tons of it, and as he becomes stronger, more comfortable, and more instinctive, his impact on each game will only become greater.

This kid is a stud.

Alex Burmistrov

This young man’s eye test as an 18 year old was off the charts. Slick hands, confidence with the puck, the ability to stop right at the blueline and search out a teammate, great agility, and a shot he could elevate from in tight. I thought with Evander Kane being drafted the year before that I was going to be watching a top-line duo for years to come.

I was wrong.

Like very wrong.

I had some hopes that upon his return from Russia that he was going to be able to battle and find a way to become a good 3rd line center, and be able to play on the second line if you needed it. Yet prior to this season he was consistently the 13th or 14th forward in my eyes. Then Bryan Little goes down and I’m thinking “Hey, he’s kind of a worse version of Bryan Little. Solid defensively, has some decent hands and vision.. Maybe this is his chance.”

Nah.

This guy’s 25 years old, we know what we have, and it’s a skilled 4th line center who should be better than he is. I don’t think there’s a reason for him to be on the team for the 2017-2018 season – I’d rather see Andrew Copp fill his role.

Interestingly enough, in the 2010 draft there were 3 Russians who were ranked in the top 30 by TSN. Alex Burmistrov (12th), Vladimir Tarasenko (16th), and Evgeny Kuznetsov (24th). Tarasenko and Kuznetsov are obviously stars, yet were unanimously ranked below our beloved Burmistrov. The difference? There are many, but here’s one of particular significance in my eyes: Tarasenko came into the league at 21 years old, ready for battle. Kuznetsov made the trip overseas as a 22 year old, honing his skills for 4 years. Alex Burmistrov, as I’m sure you know, came in as a 170 pound 18 year old.

Remember when I wrote that article last week about the Thrashers having no idea how to develop prospects?

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For good or bad, those are the folks who have grabbed my attention.

Who’s caught your eye? Is there an unsung hero worthy of attention? Or as the great Peter Griffin would say, is there anyone grinding your gears? Join the discussion on facebook and let us know!