FanPost

P.A. Parenteau and the Tavares Coattails Myth

Yesterday, in his "30 Thoughts", Elliote Friedman repeated an oft-expressed sentiment regarding P.A. Parenteau and his impending UFA status:

It doesn't sound like the Islanders are interested in re-signing Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau. Sometimes, people look at guys like him and say, "He's only getting points because he's playing with John Tavares." While that may be true, it's always a gamble the next guy has the same chemistry with your star. Or that Parenteau will go somewhere else and get 67 points with a different star.

The problem: the claim doesn't quite hold up. We know this because Parenteau played a decent chunk of time without John Tavares, and while the sample size is small, he showed that he can be productive without Tavares.

Parenteau was played on the second line from December 29, 2011 through February 4, 2012, for a total of 17 games. The move was made after a bad three game losing streak that came just as the Isles seemed to be turning things around. During that period, he was lined up mainly with Nielsen and Grabner and, for a couple of games, with Brian Rolston. How did he do? He scored a total of 11 even strength points: 2 goals and 9 assists, which matches his per game even strength productiveness over the course of the season. I am not a fancy stats guy, but if anyone cares to delve into the realm of Corsi and Fenwick, feel free to chime in in comments.

<em>Submitted FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog or SB Nation. If you're reading this statement, you pass the fine print legalese test. Four stars for you.</em>