Jody Shelley: Philadelphia Flyers' Fans Searching for Positives in the Signing

Jody Shelley officially became a Philadelphia Flyer on July 1, 2010, on the very first day of free agency.

The signing was met with universal confusion and scorn.

For a team already up against the limit of the salary cap, the Shelley signing seemed worse than pointless. Not only would Shelley be signed merely as an enforcer, he would be using $1.1 million of the Flyers' cap for the next three seasons.

Obviously, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren saw something in the 34-year old enforcer that made him believe that Shelley warranted a three-year commitment.

So what was it? What positive elements does Jody Shelley bring to this team?

Let's see what we can find. 

Basic Statistics

The counting statistics do not paint a pretty picture of Shelley's contributions.

In 538 games as an NHL player, Shelley has scored 16 goals. His career high in a season is three, and he reached double-digit point totals only once, in 2005-06, when he scored 10 points.

He averaged 7:06 minutes of play in 2009-10. In his career he has never averaged over eight minutes of time on ice per game (TOI/G). This is not a player who can be expected to spend much time on the ice. He has been a fourth-liner his entire career, and at age 34, that is not going to change.

He did, however, take 21 shifts and spend 13:58 minutes on the ice in the Rangers' final game of the 2009-10 regular season, versus the Flyers. He scored a goal in that game, as well. While that performance was likely an aberration, the possibility exists that GM Paul Holmgren was sold on Shelley after watching his contributions.

Hopefully, that was not the case. 

Advanced Statistics

The advanced statistics are not kind to Shelley either. Tom Awad's GVT is not impressed, to say the least. Throughout his career, Shelley has posted a -12.0 GVT. Essentially, according to Awad's stat, Shelley has been worth 12 goals less than a replacement-level player over the span of his career. So not only is Shelley useless, he is worse than useless.

However, in Shelley's defense, 2009-10 was the first season in which he posted a positive GVT (0.5). And his DGVT (defensive GVT) numbers have always been above average. He has just been dragged down by his complete lack of offensive ability.

If GVT can't find the positives of Shelley, maybe he's really good at blocking shots, like fellow fourth-liner Ian Laperriere. Or at drawing penalties, like pest Daniel Carcillo.

Wrong on both counts.

Shelley blocked nine shots last season. To compare, Mika Pyorala, who played only 36 games for the Flyers in 2009-10, blocked 11 shots.

As for drawing penalties, Shelley drew only seven minor penalties in 09-10, while taking 13.

In fact, Shelley has averaged over 2.0 minor penalties taken per 60 minutes in each of the last three seasons. A 2.0 PTAKE/60 number would have led the Flyers in '09-10.

Not only does Shelley not draw penalties, he's a liability considering his low ice time. 

Intangibles

Intangibles: A statistician's worst nightmare and an analyst's best friend.

Shelley actually grades out fairly well in this category. Not surprisingly, Holmgren lauded Shelley's intangibles after the signing.

Hockeyfights.com keeps track of win-loss records for enforcers. Over the last two seasons, Shelley has a 13-10-6 record, and a 7-4-2 record in '09-10. In 2010-11, when the Flyers' enforcer fights, he'll have a good shot at winning. The days of Riley Cote are over.

Shelley has a reputation as a great locker-room personality, just like most enforcers. Despite their menacing exterior on the ice, hockey fighters tend to be some of the kindest and most down-to-earth players off the ice. Shelley is supposedly no different.

He has also been a fan favorite in both San Jose and Columbus. His fighting ability, defensively responsible play, and obvious max effort earned him the respect of his fanbases.

Holmgren also mentioned that he wanted to make the Flyers a bigger team in the offseason. Shelley surely fits that description. At 6'4, 235 pounds, only Chris Pronger and Sean O'Donnell can match Shelley in the size department.

While intimidation cannot be measured statistically, Shelley is a threatening fellow and his mere presence could help protect smaller players like Danny Briere, Ville Leino, and Claude Giroux. 

Conclusion

After breaking down Shelley, it is obvious that he was not worth his $1.1 million cap hit. He is atrocious offensively, and does not make up for his shortcomings by being a premier lockout defensive forward. He is solid defensively, not spectacular.

He does, however, bring size, fighting ability, and character to the locker room.

Shelley was a bad signing. But he could still become a fan favorite, just as he was in Columbus and San Jose. If Riley Cote could become a folk hero in Philadelphia, imagine how much the fans will love a guy who actually wins fights.

Paul Holmgren deserved the criticism he received for the Shelley signing. He's simply not a very good all-around hockey player, according to both basic and advanced metrics. Still, don't be shocked if midway through next season, Jody Shelley jerseys begin to populate the stands at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.