Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
You keep looking for ways to dismiss the fact that most teams don't have 6 forwards over 40 points and that a player can be a valuable top 6 player without hitting 40 points. But no matter how many excuses get presented, the fact remains that Bennett has been good on the 2nd line, has been producing so far since being put there, and it is entirely possible to be a good 2nd liner putting up 35 points or so.
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Sorry but you made up an argument in your head that I had never even implied. One I had explicitly addressed multiple times.
Bingo: Bennett is an above average complementary second line winger
Me: I think above average complementary second line wingers should be "40 point players"
You: YOU SAID THEY NEED TO HAVE 40 ACTUAL POINTS TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP? NOPE!
What? Like how can I even respond to that, you've completely missed my assertion.
If you want, we can take a look at the Stanley Cup winners to see the rosters they entered into the playoffs with to show that Stanley Cup winners do have 6 forwards capable of 40 points nearly all the time. Let's see how many you disagree with.
Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Guentzel, Sheary, Hornqvist.
Hornqvist, I would consider a well above-average second line player, at least. He put up 50 points pretty much the entirety of his career.
Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Hagelin, Hornqvist, Kunitz
Kunitz got the job done. Scored 60 points with multiple teams, a little bit long in the tooth but was still putting up 40 points consistently back then. Even then, I might be hard-pressed to call him an
above-average complementary second line player.
Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Saad, Versteeg
Versteeg, multiple 50 point seasons with multiple teams. Easily a 40+ point player, easily the sixth best player.
Kopitar, Gaborik, Carter, Toffoli, Mr. Game Seven, Brown/Richards
Brown, multiple 60 point seasons. Came back to play in the playoffs. Very inconsistent though, Mike Richards was still putting up 40+ points at the time though. Either way six or seven players that no one would laugh at for calling 40 point players.
Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Toews, Saad, Stalberg/Bickell
Stalberg was the more consistent threat and a 40 point player at the time. However, I did list Bickell because he dominated in the playoffs. Actually Bickell might be the best comparable to Bennett. A player who doesn't always produce, but can take over and win playoff series if you're lucky. I mean, that would be great. I, however, wouldn't call him an above average second line player.
Kopitar, Carter, Richards, Brown, Williams,
Penner
This team wasn't good until Sutter and Carter. And even then it needed amazing goaltending and defense. Penner had a solid playoffs, but was no where near where he was when he was scoring 60 points.
Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand, Lucic, Horton, Peverley, Ryder, Recchi
Really pick who you think, but no matter what this team had tremendous depth and eight players who did actually score 40.
If you said that the 2012 Kings didn't have six "40 point players" on it, I would completely agree. Every other team did. Sure, in your "calculation" Peverley, Carter, Hagelin, Gaborik wouldn't count because they didn't play for their teams the entire year, which is completely crazy. And players like Versteeg wouldn't due to injuries, but that's not really reasonable if he's entering the playoffs healthy.
I mean, knock on wood, Gaudreau got injured today and missed the season but entered the playoffs completely healthy. Would you say he was our 10th best forward because 9 other forwards outscored him that year?