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Originally Posted by Hair bleach and Vodka
Freely admit I'm no scout, analyst, etc.. but does Drouin's shooting percentage raise any eyebrows? I'm not doubting his talent or hands.. just curious.
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You raise a good point. My best guess is because Drouin's not a high volume shooter, like Iggy, Stamkos or Ovechkin (guys who always lead the league in shots on goal). Another less successful example includes Chris Clark (that one year in Calgary, he was 2nd to Iggy in shots on the team with over 200 shots if memory serves correct) Drouin never really relies on a setup man to get the puck to him in scoring positions, he's a guy that creates his own time and space, and as such, hangs onto the puck for extended periods. I think there is a trend amongst players that excessively dangle, they tend to take a fewer amount of shots, and higher quality shots as well. They also have a propensity for dangling around, then finding the open man, because they can create offense for others as well. A bit of a stretch from Drouin's wolrd class level, but nonetheless an example, although Tanguay and Hemsky aren't exactly world class in terms of production, they both are similar in that they can dangle and feel comfortable holding onto the puck for longer periods than the average player. You don't typically see either one of them "throwing it on net" like other players or to borrow another common phrase "shooting it from all angles", just for the sake of it like other players. Those two players also tend to have better shooting percentages as well. How many times does Mike Rogers on the Fan960 say "I wish Tanguay shot a lot more, he's got a great shot" etc. Certain players just have a knack for artistry and they don't see the value or purpose of taking those shots which are low percentage, when they feel confident in their deking skills to get themselves in a better shooting area. However I do think Drouin gets more to the point than Tanguay, and will not be a player that simply won't shoot for the sake of passing.
This is not to say, high volume shooting is wrong either. One cannot fault the high volume shooters, as they usually win the goal scoring awards, but a lot of the highlight reel goals, go to the players typically with higher shooting percentages because they ensure the goalie is totally deked out or their picking a corner before they shoot. They also tend to be the more skilled players and guys who can really playmake.
For me, his shooting percentage doesn't raise any flags at all, given Drouin's in the "artiste" mold of player. Another reason it doesn't raise concerns, is that Drouin got the pedigree and drive to score goals than most other "artiste" type of players.
edited to add a stat fyi for those wondering: in the regular season Drouin led the team in goals with 41 goals in 49 games while ranking 5th in shots on the team.