The 2013 second round pick is off to a solid start on the offensive side of the puck this season and could benefit the Philadelphia Flyers if it continues.
Last season, Robert Hagg wasn’t much of a factor on offense for the Philadelphia Flyers. He had just nine points (3 Goals, 6 Assists) in 70 games in his rookie year. He shot the puck just 89 times, which was the second lowest on the team among skaters who played at least 70 games.
Fast-forward to this season, and Hagg looks like a completely different player in the offensive zone. The 23 year-old Swedish defenseman already has seven points (3 Goals, 4 Assists) in 13 games for the Flyers, and has two points in his last two games played. This matches his goal total from last year and is just two points away from the nine he put up in the 2017-18 campaign. Points aren’t the only thing Hagg has improved on offensively, though.
His possession metrics at even-strength are much better than the numbers he posted last season. Hagg currently has a 47.8 Corsi-For percentage (CF%) and a 49.5 Fenwick-For (FF%) percentage on the year, compared to the 44.7 CF% and 44.8 FF% he had in 2017-18. What this means is the team is controlling play more with him on the ice this season compared to the year prior. While his numbers are still slightly below average, the improvements he’s made so far can’t be overlooked.
This offensive surge didn’t come out of no where, though, as Hagg showed flashes of brilliance at times last season. He showcased a nasty wrist-shot against the Tampa Bay Lightning in March of 2018, and danced his way around Ottawa Senator defenders for a goal in February of 2018. The talent has always been there, he just hasn’t always gotten the chance to show it given his duties on defense.
It’s more than likely Hagg won’t keep pace with this exact production moving forward. He currently has a 13.0 shooting percentage, which is over nine percent better than his percentage last year. It’s not to say he’ll revert back to shooting at 3.4%, but he has never shot above 10% in his professional hockey career. It’s safe to assume that his shooting percentage will dip a bit as the season goes on.
Hagg coming alive on offense should help the Flyers will secondary and depth scoring, even if he doesn’t finish with the projected 44 point pace he’s currently on. He will look to extend his point streak to three as the Flyers take on the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.