When formulated properly, power plays are like jigsaw puzzles. GMs and coaches must fit players of particular handedness into roles that maximize their skill sets. It's not always easy, and unless players are signed and traded for with these considerations in mind, there often won't be a perfect formula.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece about why Jeff Petry should be the point man on the Canadiens' first power play unit. The argument had less to do with Petry himself -- although his basic zone entry numbers looked promising -- and more about the fact that he was a right-handed shot. With P.K. Subban, also a righty, as the team's ideal primary one-timer weapon on the left half-wall, the Habs needed a righty on the point to maximize Subban's chances of scoring.

Constructing a power play using Subban as the primary one-timer weapon, though, creates problems for the team as currently constructed. Using Alex Galchenyuk on the right half-wall as the quarterback and playmaker works fine, but to maximize the unit's ability we would need another righty in the slot and a lefty on the goal-line. The issue here is that the default righty, Brendan Gallagher, has struggled in a slot role -- he doesn't possess a particularly quick or accurate release -- and it's something of a waste not using him in a goal-line/screening/tipping position. Additionally, with this setup, Max Pacioretty, a lefty, wouldn't have a spot on the first unit. Considering he's the team's top goal scorer, that's something of a waste.

Pacioretty is a fascinating player because if you look at anything in the range of basic to complex metrics, he looks like an elite winger; he is a top scorer and he drives play. That said, my eyeball scouting report would be that he often makes questionable decisions with the puck (especially up a man), and he doesn't have great stickhandling abilities. He's also not great defensively. Pacioretty drives play largely because he shoots a lot, and has a great wrister so that like an Alex Ovechkin he's not simply wasting possession by shooting. He's also good along the walls at winning pucks, which in the mould of a Justin Williams can be critical. Overall, the Canadiens' captain reminds me of a rich man's Patrick Sharp. On a top line or unit he's a complementary player. He is best utilized away from the puck though, with other players drawing defenders to them, and then pouncing with a quick shot once the puck is on his stick to surprise the opposition. This is why a Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher line has worked so well in the past, and even why he had some success with a crafty puck handler like David Desharnais.

All of this is to say that I don't love Pacioretty as a power play option in any role in which he has to do anything except shoot. He is last on the Canadiens in personal shot contribution-to-offensive zone giveaway ratio -- a metric I call Power Play Efficiency of Touches (PET). I prefer Galchenyuk, or even Tomas Plekanec and David Desharnais as right-side options when it comes to puck distribution or shooting. Pacioretty's one-timer is nothing to write home about either.