Quote:
Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
Except players with zero skills can suck the offensive capabilities out of the entire line.
Remember when Chiasson played with Johnny and Monahan? The entire line suffered. because the puck always died on Chiasson's stick.
Plus, the league is very full of parity. Even the smallest differences can result in wins or losses.
Imagine a 4th line with 3 Tom Kostopulous's. He got 22 points (amazingly consistent) every year. That's 66 points coming from a 4th line.
Imagine a 4th line with 3 Peluso's. They each get 3 points a year. That's 9 points total.
In a league with parity, the team with 3 Kostopulous's can and will win a lot more games. The difference between a 92% goaltending and a 91% goaltender is huge. Same goes for the difference between a Peluso and a Jankowski.
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These guys rarely play, less time for Peluso, means more time for the better players, don't see what the issue is. Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindohlm, Neal get more shifts, what's the problem with that?
Skill players like having a tough guy on the team. Gretzky demanded that McSorley be traded with him to LA. Iginla specifically thanked all the tough guys in his retirement press conference. Brett Hull has publicly thanked and praised Tony Twists' presence on his teams many times. Mony and Gaudreau loved having Big Ern on the team and are good buddies, if they really resented him, would they be buddies?
The actual players, skill players, greatest players of all time, all vouch for having a tough guy in the lineup and say that it helps them feel comfortable on the ice.
Why do the few who have never played in the NHL keep trying to tell everyone how bad it is? It the 12th forward spot, it's insignificant, it doesn't make or break the team. The results of the game are dependent on your best players, the core, being the best players and not on the 12th forward or 6th defensemen.