On paper, it looked like an average year for Thomas Hickey. The New York Islanders defenseman put up similar numbers to his career average, but we’re going to have to go a bit deeper than just that.
His four goals and 16 assists (20 points) on the season was just under his average point total. His career point total through four full seasons is 20.5 points a season. His goal total dropped by two goals but by an overall comparison, it was a pretty typical offensive performance for Hickey.
The issue wasn’t with his offense, it was defensive lapses that made Hickey a household name in 2016-2017.