In my experience, most stat guys rarely worry about slumps. They’ll look at the player’s previous numbers, assess their age and playing situation, and usually chalk it up to bad luck.



“That player is shooting 3 percent over the past month. They’re a 9 percent shooter over the rest of their career. This will end, they’ll be fine,” is what they usually say.



And they’re usually right! From the outside looking in, whatever the problem was – a nagging injury, something on-ice, or yes, bad luck – things almost always get back to whatever a slumping player’s “normal” is.



The problem for that actual player is, whatever that issue is, it usually needs to be addressed. Sometimes their shooting percentage is low because they’re not playing good hockey, maybe not earning the same quality looks. Teams and players can’t just shrug their shoulders and assume no change is needed. The...