Marner and Nylander are exempt from what I am about to say because they are Canadian, but I am starting to wonder if there is something wrong with USA hockey and the way they develop players. The recent crop of USA superstars from the past 5+ years have been extremely soft and unable to play in tight checking games.
Matthews best example. Zegras. Caufield. All 3 Hughes brothers want no part of tight checking games. I mean there will always be some who can play but look at Canada's superstars and you have to start wondering what USA hockey is doing wrong?
Look at Bedard. I mean the kid is legit. He got his jaw broken and was back and playing with heart. I see this often in midgets and junior hockey as well when comparing top Canadians to top Americans.
Is there something wrong with our development model or are they just preparing players for the future NHL that will be completely devoid of hitting? Is skill above all else a detriment in the NHL game?
I think you are right to a point, but tight checking at the end does not win games, at least in terms of your high skilled guys. They should be doing what they are paid to do, generate scoring chances.
The problem with Matthews is just that he disappears in most big games. He is perfectly capable of putting up huge number of goals during the regular season, often against weak opponents and games of lesser meaning. But he wilts away in most games where much is on the line. Same as with Marner and others actually, definitely a US specific thing.
When I watched Tarasenko come into the league, he couldn't recognize his own goal line from the center line, and was certainly a liability in his own end. But would I trade him for the 2023 version of Tarasenko that was actually defensively responsible and above average in his own zone? Absolutely not, he was simply an explosive player in his younger years, and tends to step up in big moments when others falter. As a 2nd or 3rd year player, he was often our most lethal offensive player in any playoff game, and in 2018-2019, he almost single handedly (I'm exaggerate just a bit) pulled us into a 10 game winning streak, and from last place into a playoff spot. That's what I am talking about.