It turns out that the “Dump and Chase” style of play many of you are familiar with may not actually be a great system. Who would have thought?
When Minnesota Wild star Zach Parise was interviewed by the Minnesota Star-Tribune recently, he expressed his displeasure with the dump and chase system. However, this news may come as a surprise to some. Parise was a big fan of dump and chase hockey back during his time with the New Jersey Devils. But now, with Parise a few years older and wiser, it’s a completely different story.
“I read a study this summer that showed shots generated off carrying the puck in as opposed to dumping it in, and it’s like 4-to-1. It’s not even close,” Parise told the Star-Tribune. “I just found it so interesting because everyone’s like, ‘Forecheck, forecheck, forecheck.’
“I get it, but you dump the puck, you have to get it back. All you’re doing is giving the puck away. I mean, it’s so hard to get it, why would you give it away?”
“I just got kind of, not brainwashed, but my last couple years in New Jersey we were so adamant about dumping the puck in,” Parise said. “But you lose a lot of your creativity and you lose a lot of good touches. I mean, if a ‘D’s in your face, you’ve got no other options and you have to.
“But dump it just to dump it, I’m not a believer anymore in getting rid of the puck when it’s so hard to get. That’s the way we played in New Jersey. We always had a plan: Forwards dumped it in, we knew where it was going and that’s how we got it back. But the more I thought about it, possession is just so much better than dumping it in. Dumping it should be, I don’t want to say your last option, but your second or third option.”
With the push towards advanced statistics such as puck possession, it really is no wonder why Parise has altered his opinions. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings have long claimed their style of play to be “puck possession.” Although with their more recent history, this could certainly be questioned.
With the recent hirings in Toronto, there is no question that advanced statistics are becoming a larger part of the game. Players like Zach Parise are buying in, and you can certainly expect the Wild to be an improved puck possession team when they open the season in October.
Parise and company will open the regular season on October 9th against the Colorado Avalanche.