Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
It's so ironic that you bring up a 31-year-old Nik Backstrom as a viable replacement for the supposedly deficient 24-year-old Sean Monahan considering the fact that Backstrom's ability and tenacity to win was openly questioned before he finally managed to win a Stanley Cup last year.
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Was it? Backstrom has long been regarded as one of the top two-way centres in the game. Strong play without the puck is almost by definition down to tenacity. Conversely, weak play without the puck is almost always down to lack of commitment and energy.
And play without the puck has very little to do with hitting. Many of the most effective defensive forwards in the game rarely hit. Bergeron, Backstrom, Couturier, Kopitar, Backlund.
I don't pretend to understand the mentality of elite athletes. But I do think half the star players in the NHL could be more effective players - in many cases dramatically more effective - if they were as engaged when the other team has the puck as they are when they have it. And I'd include Monahan prominently in that group.