RobertKron
Registered User
- Sep 1, 2007
- 15,882
- 9,425
The window for a lot of prospects to secure a spot a spot as legitimate NHL player is short. A guy like Dalpe we got when he was 24. He hasn't played as many NHL games since. Same with Gaunce or Schroeder etc. If Aman doesn't take a big step forward this season his NHL career will be mostly done.
While you're absolutely not wrong here, it is worth pointing out that Aman - while still a pretty fringey player - is in a bit of a different bucket than those others.
Aman has played like 2 or 3x as many NHL games as Dalpe had, for example, and basically came over from Sweden and has been more-or-less an NHL player ever since. Dalpe at this age was already reasonably well-established as most likely a career AHL/AAAA player.
Beyond that, though, you're obviously correct since basically the NHL is like the top X% (let's call it 20-25% just to put a vague number on it) of players who have very long careers and are "actual" NHLers and everyone else tends to get maybe a couple seasons before their body, mind, or talent can't maintain the level they need to stay at the top of the bucket anymore and they get churned out to minor pro or retirement.