Quote:
Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy
It's weird. I've never seen Bergeron get under rated like this before.
|
It's not intended to be under-rating at all. Bergeron for the better part of the last decade has been an elite center in the league and the best two-way center period. That doesn't mean he was at that level 9 years ago, though.
It's not a criticism by any means, but not every player is the player they eventually become at the start of their NHL career. Look at MacKinnon, would anyone say he's not an incredibly dominant center and one of the very best in the league? Could anyone have honestly said that five or six years ago?
What about Blake Wheeler? or Brad Marchand? or even Mikael Backlund. Not every good, great, or even elite player starts out that way, sometimes they take time.
I don't think it's an insult to suggest that Patrice Bergeron at 25 after missing an year with an awful concussion and changing the way he played the game was similar to a 30-year old Backlund at his absolute peak.