Advanced Stats: Jakub Dobes Omitted from the Top 10 for the Calder Trophy

Pablo Herrera-Vergara
Advanced Stats: Jakub Dobes Omitted from the Top 10 for the Calder Trophy
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

Jakub Dobes is having an excellent rookie season. When the Habs were looking for a No. 1 goaltender, he stepped up and became the team's rock.

He is largely responsible for the Habs' participation in the playoffs, but it seems that isn't enough to place him among the players most deserving of the Calder Trophy, according to an advanced statistics website.

The Benchrates website, which uses a paid contribution model, does not include Dobes in its top 10 list of players most deserving of the Calder Trophy. Justin Sourdif of the Washington Capitals and Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes rank ahead of him.

At first glance, this seems illogical when looking at Dobes' track record, but the model's components better explain the situation. The model takes into account ice time, saves, save percentage, and shutouts.

The Czech goaltender hasn't played as much as Jesper Wallstedt, who ranks in the top 10, and his performance on the penalty kill is a major liability. These are the explanations provided by the model's X page.

This is where I find that advanced statistics have their limitations. The model seems well-designed at first glance. It takes significant ice time to make an impact, and every factor is important in the evaluation. It's also true that Dobes didn't have the best start to the season statistically.

However, despite everything, his name deserves to be very high in the rankings of the best rookies. He carried the Habs through the second half of the season and calmed the organization, which had even been looking for internal solutions as the trade deadline approached.

In any other year, Dobes would have deserved to win the Calder Trophy.


In a nutshell

– I'm eager to see if the Habs will rest any players.

– Things aren't looking good in Toronto.

– Great story.

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