Quote:
Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary
One can argue that merits of having a veteran mentoring the young dman on their roster, however, I am not sure why anyone thing Engelland is that guy?
I mean we're not signing some former elite dman that is entering his twilight years here...maybe I am being overly harsh here, but I am not sure what a journeyman NHL brings to the table in terms of mentoring?
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Elite players are not better mentors than journeymen. They're not teaching the kids the finer points of elite NHL skills - that's what coaches are for. Mentors teach kids how to be a pro, a solid teammate, and how to do the little things that help you win. Journeymen, in fact, are typically better versed in those traits than elite players are because journeymen need them just to stick in the NHL.
Go back in Flames history. Who were the notable mentors and leaders? Guys like Risebrough, Peplinski, McCrimmon, Lowry, Boughner, Warrener, and Gelinas. None of them elite players.
This is one of the reasons I never understood the justification to keep aging stars as mentors. Aging stars are typically not great mentors.