I doubt those 3 are much more dedicated. May be above average, but who really knows? Do we have access to their fit-bit data?I guess when it's repeated every telecast, like how we're told Larkin is "such a rink rat" it's supposed to have meaning. I'm sure Grabner, Subban, Stamkos, Letang, McDavid, etc. would stomp our guys at the gym. I'd rather Ras and Cholo hooking up with Gary Roberts and McD in the summer than LG.
Yes there have to be extremes to work ethic, like Jagr vs. Leino who gave up hockey to pursue art and music(?). Ho-Sang showed up late to TC a few years back and was sent down the entire season. May be there's better examples, Bobby Ryan? These stories end up being headlines across the hockey world... and they don't happen very often is my point.
I'm just confused why some fans that dislike Blashill this much draw upon his catch-phrases as reasonable material to explain why the team stinks. Zetter didn't come up with this poke and hope comment, that's a Blash-ism. I've read 1000 times AA and Mantha don't try hard enough, yet AM is the best scorer we have, outproducing Marner, Nylander, a lot of good younger players that were higher picks.
It sucks to be a loser but when you start placing empty blame and pointing the finger, that's a sure way to stay as one.