Quote:
Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers
I mean, did anybody KNOW what Bergeron and O’Reilly were before they played in the NHL??? Drafted waaaaaay after Zary.
But yeah, he ‘could be Jankowski’. Hell of a point.
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In the case of Bergeron and O’Reilly, I don’t think these guys are the elite, dynamic, game breakers types that scouts couldn’t miss. But these types of high IQ, 2 way players mixed in with the right environment can flourish. O’Reilly is the perfect example, stunk it up in Buffalo because that team was shallow, culture-less and riddled with flaws. He then goes to St Louis where they have a culture and an identity and have depth. All St Louis ever needed was that perfect #1 center for them and he fit like a glove. Hard to play against, defensively sound, perfect compliment to the skilled players on that team.
I think the Flames can sort of get there, but they need a new second line badly. To always rely on one scoring line like they’ve typically had to for years (actually decades) is such a recipe for failure.