Well that is quite a stretch. Don't pull a muscle!
My simple point was that Cheli was never a liability as claimed.
Sure he slowed down drastically in his later years, but he was still smarter and better defensively than Kronner.
Man, Chelios absolutely was a liability from the lockout and beyond.
here are his stats in Detroit
6-31-34 +48
0-3-3 +4 (only 24 games)
6-33-39 +40
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So the first two years... one injury-filled season. Two seasons with 34 to 39 points, and +40 and _48.
Now comes the decline.
2-17-19 +4
2-19-21 +12
4-7-11 +6
0-11-11 +11
3-9-12 +11
0-0-0 +1
So he had two very good years.
two years where he didn't play much.
Give years with 12 to 21 points.
I think Kronwall beats that.
6-45-51 +2
8-41-49 +0
9-35-44 -4
11=26=37 +5
7-28-35 +25
15=21-36 -2
Kronwall doesn't get the accolades. But even if you want to give Chelios full credit for 01-02, he still only had those 2 years with 30 or more points.
Kronwall did it 6 times. The lockout prevented a seventh.
Injuries prevented another one.
Even at the end, he had back to back 27-point seasons.
Chelios came here at the end of a long, storied career. And after 2 excellent seasons, he just kind of hung around.
2005-06 Chelios was nowhere near the Chelios in 02 - let alone the chelios from the 80s and 90s.