Beyond the Scoresheet: Examining Kuhlman's Play

Sometimes you see how a player is executing on ice and your eyes tell you something good is happening there. Since returning from injury March 19, Karson Kuhlman has been just that player. You're hearing his name on the broadcast more and more, and if you're someone like me who takes notes on every game, the number 25 is being written down quite frequently.

And Kuhlman's work seems to finally be paying off. He has two goals in his last four games including the lone Kraken score versus Calgary on Saturday.

But, as we talk about all the time, understanding what a player contributes often goes deeper than a stat line. What is the 26-year-old forward doing that is helping his play?
Let's look at the numbers
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Kuhlman has played in 10 games since being out with his injury. Claimed from Boston off waivers Jan. 17, the Esko, Minnesota native had played just five games before going out with an upper-body issue. For almost two months, he had to watch his teammates play while away from the ice. But, Kuhlman found value in that time.
"I think sitting out whenever you're injured and taking a step back and watching the game is helpful," Kuhlman said. "We did a good job rehabbing (my injury), and now I'm feeling more comfortable by the day, for sure."
About that.
First let's talk about role. In his 10 games back, in even-strength play, Kuhlman has been primarily part of two different forward combinations. First, with Yanni Gourde and Victor Rask; second with Jared McCann and Morgan Geekie.

Across both lines, Kuhlman has put in a performance that places him third among all Kraken skaters in individual shot quality (2.57 expected goals) and fourth in total shot attempts and shots on target.
But here's what's even more interesting. Kuhlman's ice time is right in line with how much he's played every season of his NHL career. In the 10 games since his return, Kuhlman is currently 10th overall among Kraken skaters in total ice time, averaging 10:17 of 5-on-5 time per game. If we adjust his offensive numbers to per 60 minutes of play (to remove the impact of ice time) he's currently generating the best shot quality and shot volume of his career (per Evolving-Hockey.com).

In addition to individual production, Kuhlman is also the third best forward at tilting the ice Seattle's way in terms of his team getting the majority of shot attempts when he is on the ice. That happens in two ways.
First, Kuhlman is a defensively minded player. According to HockeyViz.com, when Kuhlman is on the ice, offense against the Kraken drops almost 10 percent below league average. But, second, and maybe more interesting, is Kuhlman's ability to turn play the other way and get on the attack after solid defending.
"You can play (Kuhlman) in a lot of different situations," Dave Hakstol said. "He's very reliable defensively but not just because he's defending. He's a guy that can get you out of your zone and make the other guys on the other side have to defend. So, if he can make the others teams' good players defend, more often than not, that's a real plus."
The play below is a good example of just that. In St. Louis, Kuhlman starts the initial breakout. That gets thwarted, but he stays on the puck and regains possession, moving it through the neutral zone, fighting again for possession, and earning his own scoring chance.

And there's one more place Kuhlman has had impact. His style of play is a solid match for the aggressive approach adopted by the Kraken penalty kill of late. Usually paired with Gourde, Kuhlman is capitalizing on his ability to turn defensive focus into offensive opportunity.

There hasn't yet been a whole season of play for Kraken faithful to truly take in what Karson Kuhlman can do, but thus far he's found a way to thrive in the roles the coaches have placed him in and make an impact on the ice.
"(Kuhlman) the epitome of an 'every-dayer' and that's the best compliment I can pay any player," Hakstol said. "He shows up, and he works, he does his job, and he does it very, very well day in and day out… 'Kuhly' does all the little things right, you watch him on the wall, you watch him in tight spaces with the puck, he makes good responsible plays and those plays usually end up in plus areas."