• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Advanced Stats

Devils’ Agostino Proving to Be Savvy Waiver Claim

By Alex Chauvancy March 16th, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

It’s hard to find a lot of positives for a team like the New Jersey Devils, who sit at the bottom of the NHL and out of playoff contention. They also have a roster mainly composed of players who may not be around much longer. That makes trying to project things beyond this season more difficult, especially with all the team’s injuries.

Through all those injuries, there’s one player who’s stood out, Kenny Agostino. He was claimed off waivers by the Devils a little more than a month ago and has fit in well since arriving in his home state. He’s been one of the Devils’ best players at five-on-five, and if he keeps it up, he’ll have a strong case to stick around next season.

Agostino One of the Devils’ Better Forwards

The Devils have not played well since they claimed Agostino. They have an expected goals for (xGF%) of 49.15 percent and a Corsi For (CF%) of 44.83 percent, the latter of which is ranked worst in the NHL. They also rank in the bottom half of the league when it comes to controlling scoring and high-danger chances. There haven’t been many wins for the Devils, as they’ve compiled a 6-10-1 record since Feb. 12.

Even though they aren’t at their best, they’re getting positive results with Agostino: they have an xGF% of 56.91 percent with him on the ice, as well as a CF% of 50.93 percent. And they hold a 37-24 advantage (60.66 percent) in high-danger chances, ranked second best among the team’s forwards.

Kenny Agostino, Eric Fehr

Kenny Agostino was claimed off waivers by the New Jersey Devils from the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo from THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

Agostino has scored in bunches in the AHL, but that hasn’t been the case in the NHL. It’s been a bit different since joining the Devils, though. He has nine points in 17 games, which comes out a 43.4-point pace over 82 games. He’s also averaging 2.48 points per 60 minutes (P/60) at five-on-five, ranked third on the Devils over the last 16 games.

Agostino’s results haven’t come in a bottom-six role. The Devils have been decimated by injuries, so that’s opened the door for Agostino to play on their top lines. His five-on-five numbers aren’t a total fluke either. He had an xGF% of 51.33 percent in 36 games with the Canadiens this season, and he has a 53 percent CF% in 75 career NHL games (via Hockey-Reference). He just needed a chance to play and he’s found it with the Devils.

Related: Devils’ Agostino Enjoying Being Home in New Jersey 

Agostino’s Case to Stick Around

There’s going to be a lot of roster turnover given the Devils’ position. The final games of the regular season are about finding out which players are worth keeping. Veterans like Kurtis Gabriel and Drew Stafford haven’t done much to stand out, while prospects like Michael McLeod and Joey Anderson still need time to develop.

That’s a lot of bottom-six roles to fill, and the Devils aren’t going to spend all their cap space trying to fix them. They’ll have to try and fill some of those spots from within the organization, and Agostino has put his name in the conversation. He hasn’t won a job, and he won’t win one until training camp in September, but there’s a lot to like about his game.

New Jersey Devils Kenny Agostino

Kenny Agostino continues to produce, with four points in his last five games. (Photo by Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

He has positive results at five-on-five, and it hasn’t been only with the Devils. Agostino won’t drive play, or score like a high-end forward, but he’s got the scoring touch the Devils could use in their bottom six. He has 20 points in 53 games this season, which comes out to a 30.9-point pace over 82 games. That’s a nice upgrade over someone like Stafford.

Agostino will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. It may depend on how he does in the team’s final 10 games, but he’s making a very strong case to stick around. He won’t cost much to re-sign and is an upgrade over almost everyone in their bottom six. For someone who was a waiver claim, he looks to be a savvy pickup for a Devils roster in desperate need of some improvement.

*    *    *

Advanced stats from Offside Review, Natural Stat Trick except where noted

  • Tags
  • Kenny Agostino
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 20th 6:10 PM
Column

Red Wings News & Rumors: Protocol, Rasmussen, Howard & More

Jan 20th 6:00 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Forward Depth Leading to Wins

Jan 20th 5:35 PM
Column

Islanders Weekly: Shutouts, Injury Scares & Scoring Concerns

Jan 20th 4:33 PM
Archives

2010 NHL Entry Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

Jan 20th 4:15 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

3 Pros and 3 Cons to Golden Knights’ Goalie Split

Jan 20th 4:05 PM
Florida Panthers

Panthers Offense Flourishes but Goaltending & Special Teams Need Work

Jan 20th 3:15 PM
Column

Red Wings Wednesday Weekly: Hockey is Back Everyone!

Jan 20th 2:35 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Seeing Hot Starts From Some but Serious Concerns Linger

Jan 20th 2:20 PM
NHL Entry Draft

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini’s Top 75 Rankings

Jan 20th 1:50 PM
Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Goaltending & Defense Among Standouts Through Week 1

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information