JojoTheWhale
No.
- May 22, 2008
- 36,540
- 112,409
Tippett 412 minutes
Atkinson 266
TK 261
Farabee 246
Foerster 230
Brink 188
So you agree right now Frost is a middle six center, not a top six center?
To me, he and Farabee are the most frustrating players, b/c they have top six talent but haven't put it together on a consistent basis.
Scoring is stochastic, but showing up every night and controlling play is effort, skill and focus.
That's what I mean by "consistent," posting solid performances as the norm, not a big game once a week or so.
I do not categorize players as Top 6 and Bottom 6. I understand you disagree, but I am consistent in this. I go Top Line, Middle 6, and 4th Line because I believe it more accurately reflects the modern game. Bottom 6 is a term that died with the decline of the Checking 3rd Line for me.
Frost is a Middle 6 guy to me. So is Tippett for example. There are going to be a whole rainbow of not just archetypes, but season to season variation by each player that I think we overreact to in both directions. When Farabee had that absurd 5v5 Scoring year, I had the same opinion on him I do now — Middle 6 guy. Oftentimes my preference for which of those guys I would choose comes down to contract and team control.
I don’t think your eyes can judge effort and focus in real time. Nor can mine. I think it’s impossible for everyone. Big picture takes to me are far better served by numbers than live game observations. Then you apply what you see to the data that you have and use both arms to crosscheck the other and form an opinion. That’s how I believe every sport should work. It’s also the reason I kept screaming about Tulsky getting it for so long. He has explained this exact concept in interviews. You need both and you need to be the kind of leader who can make both sides understand that their input and cooperation is not just wanted, but vital.
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