from ESPN,

Kings GM Dean Lombardi could be called the Billy Beane of hockey, but don't look for him to be consulting on Moneypuck any time soon. The architect of the reigning Stanley Cup champs-one of only two franchises to win multiple titles since the NHL's salary-cap era began in 2005-refuses to divulge how he's used advanced stats to build winners. "If you have a secret, you don't go around telling everybody," Lombardi says. Regardless, the rest of the league has caught on. Plus/minus and save percentages still have their place, but puck-possession and PDO (1) metrics are becoming all the rage. In fact, an advanced-stats arms race broke out this summer, as teams stocked front offices with analysts and bloggers to curate proprietary data. Here are five ways analytics will affect the NHL this season when the pucks drop on Oct. 8.

1. The players are statheads too

When Islanders right winger Kyle Okposo, the No. 7 pick in the 2006 draft, needed a boost after a down 2012-13 season, he connected with skills coach Darryl Belfry, who has created individual analytics for stars such as Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane. Last season Okposo had career highs in points (69) and goals (27). This summer he and captain John Tavares each teamed up with Belfry, who helps them address their deficiencies by divvying the ice into sections, quantifying where the player is most effective, then developing drills to help players recognize and exploit those spots. One such drill was designed to help them create space in the corner against a defenseman by turning their hips and changing speed. "I call it practical analytics," Belfry says.

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