Ranking Penguins Speed by MPH; Surprises & Meaning

The NHL Edge statistical analysis doesn’t count the goals a player should have scored or other ethereal wizardry designed to quantify the game, but it instead gives the physical statistics, including speed. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, he is still dealing with a team that is below average in the most crucial aspect of speed game.

Quantifiably, the Penguins are slower than average, ranking in the bottom 50% with a team average top speed of 23.20 mph, which is below the 23.60 leave average.

As noted earlier this week on Pittsburgh Hockey Now, the Penguins en masse do not have players achieving speed bursts above the NHL average, but they have more bursts above 20 mph while skating a greater distance than nearly all of their competitors (90 percentile).

Regarding bursts above 20 mph, the Penguins were in the top third of the teams (71st percentile). So, they played with speed more often, but perhaps not quite as fast.

Overall, it’s a taxing concoction: more miles to cover and doing it at a lower top speed while being the oldest team in the league.

The offseason additions haven’t necessarily helped the speed, either. Center Kevin Hayes ranks near the bottom in top speed and bursts. Anthony Beauvillier ranks nearly the same as the departed Reilly Smith (traded to the New York Rangers), and Matt Grzelcyk is below average.

Free agent acquisition Blake Lizotte ranks just above average.

In a few surprise revelations, Kris Letang plays with a high top speed but had shockingly few bursts above 20 mph, placing him well below the defensemen average. In fact, the Penguins’ defensive corps as a whole might qualify as absolutely glacial.

Also surprisingly, Michael Bunting is the third slowest forward, and Noel Acciari was shockingly the Penguins’ slowest skater, ranking below even Evgeni Malkin in top speed and number of bursts.

Even though Acciari admitted to PHN last season that he is more controlled as a center, his lack of speed does raise questions about his future. Presumably, he will move to the wing this season, where his reckless abandon and punishing forecheck will come to the fore, but if his speedometer doesn’t reach above average, then it will be far less effective.

Penguins Roster Ranked by Speed (mph)