Quote:
Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald
Eichel is getting lumped in with Leon Draisaitl, Evgeni Malkin, Dylan Larkin, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. These are guys that are high risk, high reward, but have to be sheltered to make them most effective. For these guys to contribute to a winner you need to play them with the right mix of linemates, one of which is going to be the defensive conscience of the line. I'm not a fan of guys like this as they need someone else to cover their weaknesses or lack of work ethic. Yes, they can rack up the points against the weaker opponents, but when the games get tougher, the games are closer checking, and mistakes lose games, I'm hesitant to pick guys like this. They may win you a game here or there, but they lose you just as many.
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The key to having guys like that in the core is they need to be surrounded by other high-end players who can do the heavy lifting in two-way play and leadership. But if they’re by far the best player on the roster, and they’re expected to set the tone in the dressing room and an example on the ice, you’re in trouble.
Kessel is another example. If you have other top players on the roster leading the charge, then he can do his thing. But make him the man, the top of the pecking order, and you have a problem.