Quote:
Originally Posted by wretched34
Okay, you pressed me hard:
Blake Wheeler made his debut at age 22, was always a solid player but the last 5 years have been his best.
Duncan Keith made his debut at 22.
Patrick Sharp didn't earn a starting role til he was 22.
Martin St. Louis played his first game at 23, didn't earn a spot til he was 24.
Brett Hull had played 5 NHL games prior to his 23rd birthday....
Johnny Gaudreau didn't become an every day player til he was 21.
It's not as uncommon as you think for good players to get an education before becoming NHLers.
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Wheeler is a decent example, but it was clear he just being buried by depth in Boston and was always a good player. After he was eventually traded he put up over .7 PPG and never looked back. Even in his rookie year when he was a full year younger thank Jankowski he put up 45 points.
Fair enough on Keith, although typically defensemen hit their prime years later than forwards on average.
St.Louis is another example of a player that was always good, but just never given an opportunity.
Hull and Gaudreau both entered the NHL as studs and everybody knew it.
Once again, I'm not advocating moving Jankowski. I think he is useful player that will continue to get better. All I'm saying is that the odds of him becoming a number one center are slim and that putting him in the untouchable pile is silly.