Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
If Hamilton could find a coach who could teach/convince him to play good D (he sure has the tools to do so) he'd be a bona fide number one d-man in this league.
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And I feel like he's been seen as that his whole career - big, talented skater, who could dominate at lower levels, but at the NHL level needed to commit to a more engaged defensive style, and hasn't done. The ceiling is obvious, and I think that's what the Flames banked on when they acquired him (and why the Bruins didn't get too upset about not keeping him, they play a very engaged physical hockey).
I never thought Dougie looked good as a defender, I thought Gio made up for Dougie's defensive lapses. Great to have a trailing D-man with a magic shot,but even better to have a mean, tough, engaged D-man with commitment, and suddenly we have a few of those (Gio, Hammer, and Andersson).