I always defer to 1,200-game veteran, Jason Spezza, on the topic.
https://theathletic.com/2481179/2021...leafs-veteran/
When Ottawa would dress a super tough guy, like, let’s say that they would dress Matt Kassian in the lineup, I remember Jason explaining to me, “Listen, you’re gonna hear a lot of people tell you, you add a tough guy in the lineup and everybody feels like they’re two inches taller, and that’s why we like it.”
He’s like, “No, we love it because we’re playing with only 11 forwards. That way, guys like me get more time.”
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"I think the eye test is still good, but analytics can sure give you confirmation: what you see...is that what you really believe?"
Scotty Bowman, 0 NHL games played
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