What are the 4 intangibles you value the most when assessing players?
For me it's and in order
1. Hockey IQ
2. Skill
3. Speed
4. Work ethic
Those 4 are imperative if you want to be successful at the NHL level
I would look for balance among all four of these in each of my players.
And then the coach must balance the lines themselves with skill stacked on the top two while work ethic is more prominent (perhaps necessary) in the 3rd or 4th lines roles. But I would have to have work ethic everywhere for a team to be a stanley cup contender and that usually starts at the star players. Toews compared to Spezza they had (in their prime) similar offensive skill but not the same work ethic, or hockey IQ for sure.
Pittsburgh seems to do it best balancing skill, IQ, speed and even work ethic through out their top 3 lines for sure and a solid fourth line. But again that starts with Crosbywho sets the bar for wrok ethic and composure in the playoffs ( and just always).
So I guess to answer I would want a Crosby or a Toews, haha, someone or a group of people who have all 4 of those things in spades but also an intangible ability to keep calm and lead the team by keeping everyone accountable. That seems to create the type of dressing room where the other guys down the lineup can be replaced year to year and they still win. Recently Pitt 3 cups, Hawks 3 cups, Kings 2, Bruins 1 (maybe 2 this year). Look at the centres Crosby, Toews, Kopitar, Bergeron.
Goalie is important but if you have one of those four guys as your top centre it just seems to affect the team way more than if they jut have price or a holtby. know what ia m saying?