Quote:
Originally Posted by tvp2003
The point is that smaller players are given a lot more opportunity these days, and the days of prioritizing size over speed is quickly fading away. But if you don't think the NHL has changed since 2011, I won't try to convince you otherwise...
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We talking about the same 2011 that Martin St. Louis placed second in the Art Ross race?
The same 2011 that Jeff Skinner won the Calder?
The same 2011 where Patrick Kane was arguably the most important player on the Stanley Cup winning team the year prior?
The same 2011 where 185 pound Krejci lead the league in playoff scoring?
The same 2011 where the Flames drafted a 5'6'' player in the draft?
The same 2011 where Lidstrom won his seventh Norris due to his smooth skating and talent?
Don't get the NHL and Darryl Sutter confused. The Flames may have had a hard time adapting but the rest of the league didn't.
2005 had a huge shift in the thought process of the GMs due to the new obstruction rules. By 2011 every team was emphasizing speed and skill over pure size, just as they are today.
Hell, the best defender on the Stanley Cup winning team that year was given up by his team in 2006 because they thought he was too slow to be a franchise cornerstone player.
Despite being 6'9''.