[Skyceman]

Article in the Calgary Herald on a new type of enforcer that is still in demand:

Fighting in the NHL is making a comeback — because today's enforcers can actually play

"Eleven days after relying on skill and speed to win back-to-back Cups, Pittsburgh traded a first-rounder to the Blues for their biggest bodyguard"

“After winning a championship two years ago, we saw how much harder teams played us,” Penguins GM Jim Rutherford told Postmedia after acquiring fourth-line winger Ryan Reaves, who fought six times last season. “We ran into teams that wanted to get physical against us. We think it’s only going to become even tougher.”

Most teams still have a player who can keep the peace. Some, like the Wild (Stewart and Marcus Foligno) and the Oilers (Maroon, Milan Lucic and Zack Kassian), have two or even three who can do it. Even the Vegas Golden Knights decided they needed a fighter, choosing depth defenceman Deryk Engelland (nine fights) over Calgary’s Kris Versteeg, Troy Brouwer and Matt Stajan in the expansion draft.

“Maybe it’s being old-school, but I’ve always believed that you have to have guys who can protect your better players,” said Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau. “Smaller players want to feel bigger, and they know if they’ve got big brother around, they know they can play a little freer. When you don’t have that, you seem to get pushed around.”

In other words, teams still believe players do a better job of policing the game than officials. It’s not a new concept, even though the job description has changed slightly.

While Toronto’s Mike Babcock said the reason the Leafs have Martin in the lineup is “to keep the flies off” other skilled players, no amount of waving your hands will actually make the flies go away for good. All it means is a skilled player doesn’t have to swat at them, too. It creates peace of mind more than actual peace.

“You want your players to play. You don’t want your players to be thinking,” said Babcock. “And so those guys are here to do a job, and their job’s important.”

Said Leafs star Auston Matthews: “I think you saw last year, we had a young team, and we still have a young team. It’s still a physical game, so guys are going to get hit and guys are going to get ran. (Martin) stuck up for me a couple of times last year and it’s kind of what he does.”