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Originally Posted by belsarius
Why would he get better with age? Why does anyone get better with age? Prime age for forwards may be early 20s but it's pretty common knowledge defensemen really come into their Prime in their mid to late 20s, look at Giordano and Brodie for examples of this.
Experience is what makes for better defensemen because it is a learning process and the more you play the better you can get. To think that a 23 year old defensemen has topped out is just ignoring the common progression of the position.
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Dion Phaneuf says hi. And he isn't the only skilled young defenceman who never improved much defensively - the are a lot of one-dimensional d-men in the NHL. It remains to be seen if Hamilton's all-around play improves substantially. But it's not a given.
And that's what some of us are saying. Right now, Hamilton is not an all-around d-man. He has big holes in his game. And it's perfectly legitimate to express concern about his development, especially given his salary. Nobody is saying he won't or can't improve. But it's not inevitable, and the clock is ticking.