What is Shot Attempts?

Every shot your team takes when a player is on the ice, whether it goes in or not.

What this tells us

When this player is on the ice, you're counting all the shots—goals, saves, misses, blocked shots, everything. A higher number means his team is generating more chances to score. Shot attempts are the raw fuel for expected goals and other quality metrics, so they're a useful first check on whether a player's line is creating offense or bleeding chances in their own end.

Limitations

Shot attempts treat a wrist shot from the slot the same as a shot from the blue line 60 feet away. They don't account for how dangerous each shot is—that's why we also show xG, which weights shots by their actual scoring probability. Additionally, shot-attempt rates can be skewed by score effects: a team that's winning tends to fire more shots because they're ahead and playing more offensively.

Example

A top-line forward on a competitive team might see 15–18 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time when his team is at full strength. A defenseman on the same team typically sees 8–12. A fourth-line forward might be closer to 10–13.