Quote:
Originally Posted by Corral
By 'lazy' i take people to mean, a player who is happy to put in the minutes collect big $$$ and enjoy life as an NHL athlete, but could really care less whether the team competes for the Cup in any given year - on the assumption that opportunity will arise at some point during their career.
So they are not soldiers, but rather opportunists who coast for most of their career waiting for the right circumstance to put the foot on the gas pedal.
Calgary has a lot of these sort of players - and very few of the 'soldiers' you mention.
|
You are taking "soldier" too literally.
I'm not saying this roster is perfect, no roster is perfect. Is Phil Kessel a "hard worker"? Were Crosby and Malkin lazy 3 years ago?
Or were they just playing the wrong system and for a bad coach?
Coaches make all the difference in the world. The Penguins are the best example of this. You have two generational centremen and that team sucked under Johnston, a bad coach. There was talk of trading Crosby and Malkin, tearing that core to shreds.
Instead, they hire a decent coach, and all of a sudden, they are great again.
I'm not saying the Flames will win the cup by hiring a Darryl Sutter, but this roster was universally lauded at the start of the season. This roster has players that have been "winners" in the past. This roster has players who have overcome a lot of adversity to get to where they are. There are a few "bad apples" on the roster who I would consider "lazy" but I don't see this as any different from any other team.
I wouldn't rip this core apart until I've given a reputable coach a try. I would trade Hamilton though if it meant getting a good return but under no circumstances do I keep GG.