Analytics with Alison: Possession Machines

In hockey, possession is the name of the game. Gaining possession of the puck and turning it into offensive opportunity has been one of the calling cards of the Kraken's style of play this season and has led to a lot of their success.
"It's part of being tenacious, being hard to play against," Yanni Gourde said. "Those are details of the game that affect the game and the game within the game. Those little details are super, super important in creating an identity and creating a habit of how we should play every single night."
Can we measure that?

When it comes to gaining possession of the puck, while an inexact science, one place we can look to is the "takeaways" stat tracked by the NHL. But you don't want a player who can just get the puck, you want a player who also doesn't give it away. So, you can compare the number of times a player takes the puck from opponents to the number of times a player gives it right back.

Of the 813 skaters who have played at least 50 minutes in the NHL this season, according to Evolving Hockey, 358 have a positive takeaway compared to giveaway differential, and three of the skaters in the top ten in terms of that differential play for the Seattle Kraken. What makes those three players even more valuable is that they are each accomplishing this type of performance in different ways.
Let's dig in.
It's probably no surprise that the feisty and energetic Gourde clocks in with the third-best takeaway to giveaway differential (plus-36). His determined style of play manifests in every puck battle and forecheck. If there's a loose puck to be won, the assistant captain is usually in the mix to come away with it.
"I'm just trying to defend well," Gourde said. "Be above the puck and be in the right spots that most times lead to a takeaway. Not over-aggressive. Also, when you have linemates that forecheck very well it's easier to have a few more takeaways."
Tweet from @AlisonL: Gourde is another possession turner pic.twitter.com/ZQVNvKGVXA
But there are different ways of changing possession for your team. And if we use the takeaway-giveaway margin as a proxy for that, no NHL player is doing it better than Alex Wennberg (plus-46).
Often praised for his hockey IQ, the Kraken center uses his skating and ability to read the play to find opportunities to take the puck away from opponents. What makes that skill only more dangerous is not just the takeaway, it's Wennberg's ability to make a play after that.
Described as "patient, sneaky, and poised" by Gourde, Wennberg doesn't just get the puck, he sets a wide strong base positionally and then uses his stick control to put the puck in places where an opponent can't get to it. Meanwhile, his eyes are up reading the play and finding where he wants to get the puck to next. Couple in tremendous passing ability and the Swede is flipping the ice the Kraken's way more often than not.

"It maybe doesn't look aggressive, because he's reading the play and making decisions along the way," Oliver Bjorkstrand said. "But he outsmarts guys, knows how to position himself to protect the puck. That's his way of competing versus coming in with full force and throwing the body around more aggressively. It goes back to his mind. Maybe some people would think that's not like competing the same way, but he comes out with puck battles. He makes it look easy."
And Bjorkstrand should know a thing or two about getting the puck from opponents. He's sitting in ninth overall in terms of takeaway-giveaway differential (plus-31). Whereas Gourde's style brings an edge of physicality, and Wennberg's style is based on anticipation, Bjorkstrand says his ability to strip the puck relies on the element of surprise. The Dane uses his stick to lift opponents' twigs and then jump on loose pucks and turn play the Kraken's way.

"When he's at his best he's skating, he's winning puck battles, he's under guys sticks he's strong," Gourde said. "He's actually undercover really strong on the puck and through the body. So, for him, that's the way he plays at his best. That's his identity."
The Kraken's depth and versatility have been a driver of team success this season. But it's worthwhile remembering that isn't just displayed in point totals. It takes so many ingredients to build to wins, and gaining possession is arguably one of the first and most important steps. Seattle has three of the best at doing that this season.
"Those guys work hard at their game," Dave Hakstol said. "You look at all three of them, right? They're different players. (They each) do it in different ways. Gourdy does it in different way than Wenny and Ollie but there's a level of work there and there's a level of skill and all of them have good sticks."