Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern
Bickell really cashed in on a great season in 12-13 and an even better playoff run. Was he getting buried in Chicago or was that run just a fluke in a short season?
Bollig vs. Bickell .. 1.25 vs 4 ..
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Bickell NEVER impressed me, he has the kind of size that old-school hockey scouts/coaches drool over, but, Bickell was inconsistent in EFFORT...he reminded me of a slightly more physical version of (and excuse me for typing this name!) Rene Bourque.
It was hoped that Bickell would be the muscle on a line with Toews and Kane, but, guys with speed and puck management skills, like Saad, Hossa and Sharp had better chemistry...It was then hoped that he'd use his size to his advantage on the 2nd or 3rd line, but his defensive deficiencies (just not a great back checker) made him less than ideal....It was hoped that he'd settle in as a "net-front-presence" on the PP, and while he was merely OK at screening, he had no hands for finishing, the much smaller, quicker, and grittier Andrew Shaw was FAR superior at the role, and Saad was improving rapidly on the #2PP, so, without the role that made Bickell successful to GET that inflated contract, he really was displaced from being a key guy on the squad...