New Jersey Devils: Despite Goal Drought, Nikita Gusev Making Progress
By Mike Luci
One of the more notable moves the New Jersey Devils made last summer was acquiring left wing Nikita Gusev from the Vegas Golden Knights. While I was adamantly against the prospect of acquiring the 27-year old former KHL MVP, my skepticism has certainly dwindled since the season started.
Although Gusev is currently one of four Devils forwards without a goal in December (that’s played in at least eight games) going into Monday night’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, he’s acclimating quite nicely in his first NHL season. To date, Gusev has five goals and 12 points through 32 games in 2019-2020, but hasn’t scored a goal in 16 contests.
While these numbers might seem discouraging at first, Gusev has quietly improved overall as a player during his 16-game goal drought and remained relatively consistent in some key statistical categories, as shown in the chart below.
| First 16 Games | Category | Last 16 Games |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Goals | 0 |
| 2 | Assists | 10 |
| 35 | Shots | 36 |
| 12:22 | Ice Time (Total) | 14:29 |
| 10:19 | Ice Time (Even Strength) | 11:26 |
-Data courtesy of naturalstattrick.com
Despite going nearly five weeks without a goal, Gusev has actually averaged more points per game over his last 16 games (.62), compared to his first 16 of the season (.43). You could also factor a lack of puck luck to his recent offensive shortcomings, since his shot numbers have basically been equal over these two timespans.
In addition, Gusev has seen an uptick in average ice time per game, not just overall, but also at even strength. This is a good segue into why Gusev has perhaps been rewarded with more playing time, since his greatest improvements have been in the Devil’s five-on-five possession and scoring chance numbers when he’s on the ice over his first and last 16 contests.
| First 16 Games | Category | Last 16 Games |
|---|---|---|
| 40.61 | CF% | 50.29 |
| 40.36 | FF% | 51.89 |
| 41.86 | SF% | 49.03 |
| 41.41 | SCF% | 47.34 |
| 38.39 | HDCF% | 49.12 |
-Data courtesy of naturalstattrick.com
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For those unfamiliar with advanced stats, the above charts indicate that when Gusev has on the ice at five-on-five over the last 16 games, the Devils have the majority of overall (CF) and unblocked (FF) shot attempts, while getting just a tad below the majority of shots hitting the net (SF). The Devil’s total scoring (SCF) and high danger chances (HDCF) when Gusev is on the ice at five-on-five have also risen substantially over the last five weeks.
Given how the New Jersey Devils are among the league’s statistically worst teams in possession and generating scoring chances, these numbers are a testament to how far Gusev’s game has come this season. The areas where Gusev has improved most over the last 16 games is also strong evidence that he’s becoming a prominent catalyst to generate offense, despite New Jersey’s abysmal overall performance this season.
The numbers indicate Gusev is getting more comfortable in the NHL and has been one of the Devil’s few bright spots in an otherwise utterly disappointing and emotionally draining campaign. Currently on pace for about 12 goals and 43 points this season, he’s quietly disproving the scathing skepticism I initially had for him and emerging as a key component for the New Jersey Devils to build their offense around moving forward.
Given Gusev’s progress this season on a vastly underperforming New Jersey Devils team, it makes one wonder what numbers he’s capable of posting on a more talented and competent roster.