This is our best top 6 (at forward) since.....?

[Oddbob]

Everything in sports now is ridiculously specialized. Face-offs are a big one, which is why guys like Jay McClement, Paul Gaustad, Saku Koivu and others have ludicrously long careers. They're good on the dot.

They can switch, but it's like changing from being a left guard to a right guard in the NFL. Everything is flip-flopped and your muscle-memory for things isn't as good. Like, they can all obviously play any position, but professional sports are honestly pretty refined to... if you are a split second slower because you're not used to it, you're then out of position and worthless. Like most of the guys we bitch about? They're extremely talented at hockey and are only missing by a inch. Like the 2019-2020 Wings, the worst ones ever, had a lot of guys who were NHL players at one point.

They can learn it which is why you have centers transition to wing for the PP and such. It's why handedness matters quite a bit too. The guys on their off-hand side either end up catching the puck on their backhand. Like a right shot LD has to catch the puck on the wall on his backhand, but can rip clappers on one-timers.

You mention Saku Koivu like he was a bad player. He was much better than those other two you mentioned.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

You mention Saku Koivu like he was a bad player. He was much better than those other two you mentioned.

I mentioned him because he had a ridiculously long career. No other reason. He absolutely hung around from 35-39 based on his two-way play and ability in the dot.

I mean, fair enough, Koivu was a 50-60 point C for a long time... but he also hung around long past his prime.

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

It's whatever they self identify as, the birth position doesn't matter. The NHL is very progressive.

Non-binary wingers

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

Plenty of players have gone from center to wing, it's much harder to play center. Major difference is defensive responsibilities, not just in terms of having to cover all 3 zones, but also because you have to defend a forward, as opposed to covering a defenseman.

And taking the majority of faceoffs.