Quote:
Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan
That's 8 years.  |
That's right The way I see it he has 3 years of college, then prob a year of AHL before he makes it full time. It then takes most players 3 years to become legit top 6 forwards even if they are putting up good point numbers before that. It takes a few years to fully adjust to the NHL. Its the same reason I don't expect Baertchi to be a great player until his 3rd or 4th year in the NHL. He could still be a very good player until that point, but typical NHL progression goes something like this:
1st year - play in a very sheltered role.
2nd year. Play top 6 competition and start in your own zone quite often. This jump in competition is what causes the sophomore slump we often see in players including Backlund.
3rd year. Breakout year. Points somewhere between 1st and 4th year.
4th year - potential reached. Any improvements after the 4th year are usually slow and progressive.