Despite stats pointing towards sophomore slump, Kerr looks good

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Last season saw the then-rookie Wolves forward scored respectable 20 goals and 44 points. Despite him making good strides in development, his box stats this season point to stagnation or even a slight regression. With 5 goals and 11 points in 19 games, he's on pace for 19 goals and 42 points. Let's take a bit closer look at his game so far this season.

 

The good
Starting on a higher note, Kerr is more involved physically and taking on more defensive responsibilities now that he plays his natural position at center. A touch higher rate of blocking shots is a direct result of the team allowing more shots than last year, but you can notice Kerr using his strength to his advantage both on defense and on forecheck much more as he's on pace for 94 hits, almost tripling last year's 32. His forechecking also leads to him generating much more shots, he's on a pace to log over 300 (189 last season).

 

The bad
Seeing how many shots is Kerr firing, it's surprising to see his goal scoring rate being almost the same as last year. The difference is obviously the shooting percentage. Last year, he was converting with team-leading 10.58% success compared to his current 5.95%. With last season's shooting percentage, he'd now be on pace for 33 goals. Let's not talk about assists as Kerr is very much a shoot-first forward, and on transition prefers to skate with the puck rather than pass it.

 

The ugly
Last year, Kerr was a threat on powerplay, scoring 6 goals and 14 points on man advantage. Wolves sported a league-best 20.76% power play. This season...not exactly the same. The Wolves' power play sits at the bottom of the league with 10% succes, and Kerr's only contribution is one assist.

Edited April 15, 2023 by VattghernCZ