- Apr 27, 2005
- 36,345
- 36,483
It's not an uncommon scenario - in 5v5 hockey it happens all the time. Being able to create separation while breaking out of the zone is hugely valuable when trying to create offense, as the puck carrier becomes a theat that defenders have to respect, which opens up wingers. It also leads to a really high number of odd man rushes.That doesn't really matter because he can create separation in different ways. And he has great agility. I reaaalllly hesitate to compare anyone to Gretzky but he has some of those qualities in his skating and just overall ability that transcend top speed.
If you really want to pigeonhole your argument to such a narrow point that "he won't be able to create as much separation as the absolute best skaters in the NHL in a breakout when he gets a pass at X and Y" then be my guest. It doesn't really matter because of all of the other tools that he has.
Being able to out skate back pressure is an extremely important part of the game, especially for offensive centers. This "narrow" part of the game is what makes McDavid, more than anything, the best player in the world.
Bedard is a fast skater - he's not going to struggle with carrying the puck and beating guys down the ice. But it's not going to be the defining aspect of his game like it is for McDavid/Hughes/Mackinnon etc.
Bedard skating at 17 much better then Marchand as in even close.
Who said anything about 17 year old marchand?
Crosby at 17 was significantly faster than Bedard.People seem to want to compare Crosby skating in NHL vs Bedard skating in WHL. Remember that both of these kids were also some of the youngest players in their drafts. Both of them didn't even turn 18 until after they were drafted. One year from 17 to 18 matters a lot.