Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
This is an extremely short-sited view of the issue.
First, kids are bigger today, and continue to get bigger. 6'7" used to be huge and unusual but it is not going to be as unusual going forward. There was a time when 6'4" or 5" was unusual, but saying that a guy didn't have a chance because there weren't many 6'4" guys before him would have been short-sited and misguided. Today's 6'7" is the 6'4" of a generation ago.
Second, the ability to coach skating skills has improved immensely. One of the biggest challenges for a big kid is dealing with co-ordination quickly enough to be able to keep up in the skating department. While that was an immense challenge in the past, it is less so now. Coaching can really improve a player's skating.
Saying that being 6'7" reduces his chances of being in the NHL because there haven't been a lot of 6'7" players in the NHL in the past is a ridiculous argument.
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I never said being 6'7" reduces your chances of being an NHLer. I said it reduces your chances of becoming an impact forward.
I'm now seeing people calling me defensive. I don't know why. Nothing in my posts so far have been defensive.
Also seeing Lucic brought up as a comparable. Lucic is 4 inches shorter than Smith and does not play the same game. (Lucic also has Scheuermann's disease which is an unbelievably unique situation for an NHLer).
When you are 6 foot 7, the game you play changes, especially as a forward. It is truly difficult for forwards of than height to make an impact beyond fighting and sitting in front of the net on the powerplay. Maybe this is what the Flames wanted, but I don't know what else Hunter Smith could possibly become.