Players Who Became The Opposite Of What They Were?

[DitchMarner]

I don't mean players who rounded out their games or became better two-way players over time but rather players who became completely different from and opposite to what they once were (for instance prolific goal scorers who became elite playmakers, big scorers who weren't very good defensively that became shutdown players who didn't score much, finesse players who became enforcers or tough guys etc).

From what I remember, Kadri started off as a finesse playmaker (he wasn't soft per se but was light and easy to push around and far from intimidating) and morphed into a gritty goal scorer by the end of his stint with Toronto.

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[MadArcand]

Jeff O'Neill kinda went from fast, defensively responsible playmaker* to slow, fat, defensively bad sniper.
*-

 

[Michael Farkas]

Stan Mikita from "don't tread on me" to Lady Byng.
Joe Thornton from net-driving, power forward-ish to softer playmaker type.
Sergei Gonchar from defense-less offensive defenseman to balanced two-way d-man towards the end of his career
Rick Nash from power-goal scorer, then adapted to become more of a NZ playmaker and facilitator in New York

 

[Johnny Engine]

I don't mean players who rounded out their games or became better two-way players over time but rather players who became completely different from and opposite to what they once were (for instance prolific goal scorers who became elite playmakers, big scorers who weren't very good defensively that became shutdown players who didn't score much, finesse players who became enforcers or tough guys etc).

From what I remember, Kadri started off as a finesse playmaker (he wasn't soft per se but was light and easy to push around and far from intimidating) and morphed into a gritty goal scorer by the end of his stint with Toronto.

When it comes to Kadri, his junior playmaking didn't immediately translate to the NHL to the degree where you'd say "that's what Naz does, give him the puck, get open and watch out". Earlier Kadri was more like a comprehenively skilled forward who could create or finish if he had the puck, but a lot of his moves didn't work against real defensemen and his production was...decent.
When Babcock and Hiller arrived, they had him dial in a specific power play role, and threw he and Komarov at tough competition, and I think he responded pretty well. I think he was the same guy the whole time, but made use of his hands and chippy demeanor in a way that made sense.
Don't really know what precipitated his 59-assist outburst in his last year in Colorado, but he certainly never set guys up to that degree in Toronto.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Jeff O'Neill kinda went from fast, defensively responsible playmaker* to slow, fat, defensively bad sniper.
*-View attachment 908475

I remember seeing Doug Gilmour as a draft comp on here one time. I just can't imagine.

 

[carjackmalone]

Brad Marchand was a Marty Gelinas type player who morphed into a Bobby Clarke type player

 

[Soundgarden]

Scott Stevens was an offensive defenseman in his time with Washington.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Joe Thornton went from a physical guy who put up big numbers a la Cam Neely to a pure finesse guy after Lindros KO'd him.

From 2001 to 2004 he had 313 pts, 441 PIM in 292 games

The Lindros fight was in 04 and after that season he barely sniffs 40 PIM in a season