Your view is narrow-minded, especially as skaters continually improve their edge-work and the game embraces east-west play. The offensive zone advantages to playing off wing for the ultra skilled outweigh all disadvantages and perceived disadvantages.
My view is not narrow minded if it is factually correct.
Narrow minded would be presenting an absolute statement as you did that is in contrast to the evidence. I am the only person in the conversation saying that there are useful applications for both of these tactics when dealing with skilled puck handlers. That is literally the opposite of only presenting one option as you did which would be definitively narrow minded.
To then arbitrarily claim that there are more offensive zone advantages for off wing forwards is simply not true, especially when presented in a manner that is devoid of context and nuance. In the context of the individual, playing off hand is only a shooting advantage, it is a disadvantage in puck possession, passing and board play. It is true that super skilled players can mitigate these disadvantages but there is a reason that most of them choose to play on their strong side as they become possession monsters with their stick naturally shielded from defenders on top of their elite skills where they can expose the puck when they choose to do it and are not forced to their back hand where they are far less dangerous.
Why are we even discussing this in a vacuum that is the offensive zone when strong hand wingers are unarguably far more effective in the other two zones? Are you suggesting that the players should switch back and forth, creating longer routes and mayhem in the neutral zone for defenders looking to find breakout lanes? You can't just arbitrarily dismiss these issues and only focus on the offensive zone.
Power plays are different as there is less puck pressure and more room to expose the puckhandler's stick to defenders. I think too many people see power plays and think , "hey, why don't they always play on their off wing". There is also little to no danger of having to defend against sustained pressure in the d-zone.
I have been through this exercise so many times as a player and a coach that I am not going to be presented with a view point that I have not considered. There is no universal right or wrong answer, it is just that most players including the most skilled puck handlers are more effective on their strong side.
I respect your opinion and hopefully i am not coming off as too harsh, we are in agreement in some aspects but I am not sure that we are going to close the gap on your absolute statement unless you move off of that.
