Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamer
Good points, and you can certainly see how my conjecture is somewhat supported by the data. At 23 they are just starting to peak and enter their full potential, and by 27, as you describe it, it has plateaued. Granted, there are variances, but my standards are a general guideline.
Gretzky is a special circumstance as rules were altered to combat his (and his team's) dominance. It would be hard to argue, however, that between the age of 21 to, say 26 he became a much more complete and well rounded player...it's almost analogous to say that he became a cut, already high-quality diamond.
All I'm saying is that players get better during these previously defined critical formative years, and this plays into my definition of the term prospect.
Traditional hockey terminology is perfectly acceptable, but I don't appreciate getting #### on and demeaned for providing an alternative opinion with supported justification. (<---Not directed at the quoted poster)
|
That is not what I said, and not what the numbers suggest.
Offensive output has typically peaked by 23, and plateaus from 23 TO 27, at which point it begins to decline. Particularly for goal scoring.
Certainly, other aspects of players' skill sets continue to develop and, and as you suggest, most players achieve their overall peak in their later 20s.
But offence, and particulary goal scoring, is a young man's game. And calling someone a prospect until 25 would be missing the mark, IMO.
As for Gretzky: suggesting his output slowed because they changed the rules is a stretch, to say the least.