This is a story about a player that subscribers of The Athletic probably would never think twice about. It’s a story about a player that plays for a team that the site doesn’t cover, in a market most fans don’t pay a lot of attention to. It’s a story about a player that isn’t a star by any means – in fact he was a healthy scratch twice in the last week. But it’s an important story to tell, one with ramifications that can apply to any team.



This is a story about New Jersey Devils defenceman Steven Santini.



Why Steven Santini? It’s because the 2017-18 season has been a tough one for Santini in more ways than one, and his numbers this season provide a fascinating case study in how hockey is analyzed.



On the surface, no defenceman this season looks worse than Santini. He has a 36 per cent Corsi percentage at 5-on-5, which basically means he’s a two-for-one special on skates: two shots for you, one shot for me.