Hockey Abstract 2017: Making advanced stats simple, practical, and fun for hockey fans. With every passing season, statistical analysis is playing an ever-increasing role in how the game is played, and how it is covered. While we fans can continue to enjoy the sport without doing any math, knowledge of the underlying numbers can help stretch that enjoyment. Hockey Abstract 2017 is not a textbook, nor is it a book about statistics. It is a book about hockey, that uses statistics. Acting as an invaluable supplement to traditional analysis, Hockey Abstract 2017 can be used to test the validity of the conventional wisdom, and to gain insight into what teams are doing behind the scenes --- or maybe what they should be doing! Inspired by Bill James' Baseball Abstract, Hockey Abstract 2017 is not an annual guide to read once and place on a shelf, but a timeless reference of the mainstream applications and limitations of hockey analytics. The fourth book in the series, Hockey Abstract 2017 contains over 300 pages of fresh analysis, including new player usage charts and analysis for all 31 NHL teams -- including the Vegas Golden Knights expansion team. Hockey fans both new and experienced with hockey analytics can use this as a guide to understand and enjoy the statistical perspective on topics such as the impact of rookies, what makes a power play successful, why rebuilds fail, what artificial intelligence and hockey analytics have in common, how injuries can be predicted, and who is the NHL's best goalie, passer, clutch scorer, hitter, shot-blocker, faceoff specialist, penalty-drawer, and value-priced player. There are also breakdowns of more topical questions, like why Washington loses in the playoffs, and who won the Weber-Subban trade. Whether you use Hockey Abstract 2017 as a primer for today's new statistics, as a reference for leading edge research and hard-to-find statistical data, or whether you read it for its passionate and engaging story-telling, Hockey Abstract 2017 belongs on every serious hockey fan's bookshelf.