Head Hunting in the NHL

This is one where I disagree, Talloola. I'm with Justthefacts on this subject, because I think talent is talent. The NHL of today is almost a reversion to what hockey used to be in the late 70s and 80 with the skating of teams like Lafleur's Habs, Bossy's Isles and Gretzky's Oilers. I always hated the Oilers, used to call them the Whiners, and I hated the way Gretzky was after the officials all the time but I always had to admit they won their Cups because they didn't draft anyone who couldn't skate. Even after their glory days Todd Marchant was a typical Oiler draft pick/prospect/player: he didn't have very good hands but he could skate like the wind, and to win, thats always been a key...except for when the New Jersey Devil clutch-and-grab mentality won out as the preferred counter to speed, in the late 80s and 90s.

The guys are in better shape reporting to camp, no question. Technology gives them edges in protection, performance and injury recovery, again no question. Coaching has improved and become more scientific in its approaches. But in the end, all these are the improvements a gem cutter makes on the stone he is working with. Sometimes, if there's a screw up, you can have junk players, but the valuable ones always maintain that value no matter what you do to them and the right improvements just add value.

all the players today are good skaters and can play, but of course there are many levels of talent, even
in todays game, and within a team, yes, 1 thru 4th line, breaks down the different styles and talents
of all of the players on that team, and hopefully gives the team the balance it needs to play their
best.
lots of the very very talented goal scorers, wouldn't do that well on the fourth line., each line has
it's value and job to do.

there were too many questionable skaters, and also poor players on the old teams, the tough guys, the
protectors, and the big players were not that big, now they are, with talent and great skating.

defensive talent and high ability 'can' be taught by good coaches, and in todays
game, some say the defense has been taught to such a detailed strategy, it takes
away from the offense because a good defense can take away the scoring ability
of very good offensive players, and of course there are some exceptions.But at least they take away the scoring ability with a learned ability and strategy,
and not by clutching and grabbing and pinning, etc., like they use to do back then.
Special teams are key in todays game, both penalty killing and power play, without
being good at both, a team cannot succeed, and also faceoff 'wins'.

Hence, canucks lost last night because they could not win a faceoff, and their
powerplay sucked, and up till last night they were first in the league with their
power play, and very good on face offs.

I think booguard (sp?) Scored a goal last night, how did that happen, he is one of the very few
very bad players left in the league, the goal was unassisted, so that tells me the
puck must have bounced off of him from a stick of the opposition, anybody know?