Leafs announce partnership with SASanalytics

[LittleHockeyFan]

Even for a Leafs fan, this is disappointing.

I threw my jersey onto my computer.

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHA

 

[ZBBM]

Even for a Leafs fan, this is disappointing.

I threw my jersey onto my computer.

I actually lol'd at this, well played HS.

Me too. Nicely done.

 

[Frank E]

I find this rather interesting...I think we're already seeing how some of this data is affecting line composition and ice-time.

 

[bustaheims]

Listen, I get why the Leafs are throwing money at analytics. I mean, why not right? But, when most of the teams in the league start to develop their own analytical systems, doesn't that kill any sort of advantage individual teams might have by deploying it?

Teams will be using different systems, looking for different things, and having people with varying degrees of competency developing differing conclusions based on the data they're presented with, so, there's always going to be potential for an advantage there. When everyone is using it, it may lessen the extent of the advantage, but, as long as there are humans involved in the process and different systems being put into place, there will always be potential for advantage.

 

[Frank E]

Listen, I get why the Leafs are throwing money at analytics. I mean, why not right? But, when most of the teams in the league start to develop their own analytical systems, doesn't that kill any sort of advantage individual teams might have by deploying it?

Teams will be using different systems, looking for different things, and having people with varying degrees of competency developing differing conclusions based on the data they're presented with, so, there's always going to be potential for an advantage there. When everyone is using it, it may lessen the extent of the advantage, but, as long as there are humans involved in the process and different systems being put into place, there will always be potential for advantage.

I agree.

As teams still have to deal with contract negotiations within a cap structure, and developing players, and interpreting data to the extent of what they prioritize in terms of team structure, you'll see varying directions and rates of success.

 

[Kin]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2014/10/16/maple_leafs_make_deal_with_analytics_company_sas.html

Some more on the partnership.

Listen, I get why the Leafs are throwing money at analytics. I mean, why not right? But, when most of the teams in the league start to develop their own analytical systems, doesn't that kill any sort of advantage individual teams might have by deploying it?

Sure. It's like coaching. Everyone looks to hire the best coaches and coaches looks to maximize the effect of what they do by innovating different techniques and systems and, to be fair, I think the result of the standardization of coaching has largely neutralized the effect coaching has. That doesn't mean, I don't think, that certain coaches or innovations within coaching don't produce short term value.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Listen, I get why the Leafs are throwing money at analytics. I mean, why not right? But, when most of the teams in the league start to develop their own analytical systems, doesn't that kill any sort of advantage individual teams might have by deploying it?

Teams will be using different systems, looking for different things, and having people with varying degrees of competency developing differing conclusions based on the data they're presented with, so, there's always going to be potential for an advantage there. When everyone is using it, it may lessen the extent of the advantage, but, as long as there are humans involved in the process and different systems being put into place, there will always be potential for advantage.

And I don't think it necessarily has to be about gaining an 'advantage' but simply being an organization that when you reflect upon your season and your process you can say that you used all the available resources for your decision-making.  Failing is one thing, but I think it's worse if you're doing that without looking at something that could potentially help you.  Even if the impact is minimal, it all adds up.

 

[Kin]

When everyone is using it, it may lessen the extent of the advantage, but, as long as there are humans involved in the process and different systems being put into place, there will always be potential for advantage.

I think that's true to some extent but I think, as I said above, that shifts the issue a bit from your standard "are we looking at important metric X" which, the absence of which, is definitely a flaw to "have we hired the right/smartest/most innovative analysts?" which, like coaching or scouting or, hell, even players to some extent, pro sports teams have generally shown to be hit or miss on.

So I agree that statistical analysis can continue to yield dividends after it becomes the norm, I'm not sure it will ever be to a point where a team can make a hiring decision in that area with any more confidence than they do anywhere else in the organization. A lot of good GM's have hired a lot of bad coaches.

 

[Arn]

I'm pretty sure an NFL team used a SAP or Oracle system to analyse all the college players available for the draft a couple of years back which was one of the first instances of this.

The amount of data out there and available now is infinitely more vast than it used to be so if something like this helps... Scouts can't do it all now.

I'm sure it could be used on data available in the likes of Sweden for the Allsvenskan or the German DEL or even lower leagues where there may be young gems floating about that use of this information could unearth a few diamonds in the rough.

 

[herman]

I see great potential with this partnership because it gives the analytics department a nearly real-time engine to drive the raw data into useful key performance indicators. The fluff they demonstrated for the media was just to demonstrate how easy it is to manipulate compiled data and present it to generate more explicit conclusions on-the-fly.

Other teams are already doing this, and have been for years (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/call-it-moneypuck-analytics-are-moving-into-hockey/article_4d6092fb-b5fc-59ec-8677-8a7eae054189.html).


edit: thank you for the welcome!

 

[Britishbulldog]

I see great potential with this partnership because it gives the analytics department a nearly real-time engine to drive the raw data into useful key performance indicators. The fluff they demonstrated for the media was just to demonstrate how easy it is to manipulate compiled data and present it to generate more explicit conclusions on-the-fly.

Other teams are already doing this, and have been for years (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/call-it-moneypuck-analytics-are-moving-into-hockey/article_4d6092fb-b5fc-59ec-8677-8a7eae054189.html).

I have always loved numbers.  It is nice to see the Leafs using some of that huge profit to better the team.

Oh...and welcome to the TMLFans Board!