But as much fun as scoring goals is for players and fans alike, they are the result of so much work that comes before the puck finally gets in the net. And there are specific strengths Schwartz brings to strengthen the Kraken effort on ice.
One of the tenets of head coach Dave Hakstol's system this year is going to be aggressive play on the forecheck. What that means is if the Kraken are in their offensive zone, and they don't have possession of the puck, they are going to do all they can to gain control of that piece of frozen rubber. That might mean knocking an opponent off the puck or, perhaps even more importantly, anticipating passes to break up. Another move is using proper positioning on the ice to limit the other team's options for passes or skate with the puck at all.
Schwartz will be a big part of that forechecking, but more importantly, he's a player that's proven to make the most of the puck when the forecheck does exactly what it's supposed to do - get the puck back for Seattle.
Corey Sznajder's "All Three Zones" project tracks data related to transitional play - passes, zone entries (bringing the puck into your offensive zone), and zone exits (carrying the puck out of your defensive zone), among other things.
According to Sznajder's work, last season Schwartz proved to be one of the best players for St. Louis when it came to generating rush shots (shots that come off transitional play). He was a Blues leader in creating shots off the forecheck - marking him as a proven "dual threat" offensively.
If the Kraken stay on top of their forechecking game, Schwartz is a player who's going to be able to turn that work nto scoring opportunities. If the team gets a rush chance (an unchallenged carry of the puck into the offensive zone that leads straight to a scoring chance), well, he will make good use of that, too.
Overall, that's part of why Schwartz has the potential to make a big impact offensively. We hear the head coach mention high-danger chances. While the precise definition of those chances is specific to Hakstol and his staff (as it is with most coaches), one of the most commonly associated areas of the ice for high-danger chances derive from the "slot," or the lane of ice in front of the opponent's goal between the two faceoff circles.
There's still plenty of camp left, and an 82-game season lies in wait, but Jaden Schwartz is proving early why he's a fit for the Seattle Kraken, and he and his team are already reaping the benefits not just on the ice, but on the scoreboard, as well.
