Oddbob
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2016
- 16,441
- 10,953
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.