would you say the NHL has changed since 2011?
Sure, it’s always changing.
I know what road you’re going down (I think). The league is more skilled now. You can’t get away with having “plugs” in the lineup anymore.
I hear that notion all of the time. Actually, I’ve been hearing it since at least my father began saying it since I started watching hockey in the early 90s. And I think it’s hugely cliche and exaggerated. The ability of players, be it because of talent or things like equipment upgrades, is on a fairly constant incline were you to graph it. The league in 2011 was far “more skilled” than in 1980. And yet, 2011 still had players that were known (relatively) for their toughness, size, faceoff ability, “smarts” etc.
Am I supposed to believe that between 2011 and now, speed and finesse have now become mandatory requirements for NHL players to where a physicality based player is no longer viable? The truth is every single one of these guys are skill guys compared to almost any other hockey player in the world outside of the NHL. They’re not all going to be on a level plane when it comes to skill no matter the time period.
I also don’t think Xhekaj is nearly as inept at hockey as some are implying.
Ignore all of this if this wasn’t the direction your comment was going in lol
McQuaid also shockingly had a positive penalty differential in the bruins cup year
he drew 2 more majors than he took, and took 4 more minors than he drew. Overall gave his team an extra PP worth, which is pretty good for a dman
Xhekaj for context in about 1 seasons worth has put his team on the PK an extra 25 times compared to what he's drawn, making him one of, if not the least disciplined players in hockey.
And it hurts even more to go to the box when your PK lets in a goal 25% of the time
That’s a real good point.
But thats a stat that I would think can certianly be improved upon over time in Xhekaj’s case. It’s not an indication of a lack of general ability IMO