Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
I've been thinking lately that the league has really gone towards "star power" as a differentiater.
It's not all of it. You need a supporting cast.
But I wonder if the 20-25 teams that don't have that guy are pretty much doomed until they do.
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The outlier there is Vegas. They are the team I keep coming back to. They have stars but not elite talents, but can overwhelm teams that have those differences makers and perennially are challengers in the post season.
But yes, the league does appear to be trending the way of the 80s in some aspects where single players determine outcomes more frequently than they have in recent times. Not great for those of us that grew up believing "there's no I in team" to see things move in that direction.
I always thought the nightly McDavid segments on Sportsnet were a joke, idolizing a player that just plays half of the game really effectively, but if the Oilers can win with essentially two players carrying the entire offense then I guess what do I know about the current state of the game.
I guess it's both exciting and flawed from an objective standpoint.
It's just always felt better from a moral perspective to praise group work over individual achievements in a team sport. That's part of what always drew me to it. The '04 Flames epitomized teamwork in every aspect, even though it was Jarome that was leading the way. He wasn't playing 30 minutes a night eating up other guys time. Every one had their shifts and roles that contributed to the end result.