Brad Park questions

[gotyournose]

1. Who does Brad Park compare to in more modern times? Put another way, if he was playing in the NHL today would he do as well as he did back then?

2. If Bobby Orr was a 10/10 in terms of skating, what was Brad Park's skating when he was at him peak?

3. How good was his defensive game? If a Serge Savard was a 10/10 defensively, how would you describe Park?

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[DannyGallivan]

I think Brad Park was "Bobby Orr lite". He was more physical of a player than he was an elite skater. He was an "okay" skater, but he was a hitter (the master of the hip check... before it was deemed a dirty hit). If Drew Doughty had a more offensive upside (and actually, if he played in the 70's he likely would have) perhaps that's a comparative. Park was built more like a tank, though... kinda like his contemporary Potvin.

Park was a great combination of offense and defense. He was known more for his offensive game, but he was a punishing hitter who was very responsible in his own end. I'm not going to mark them out of 10 or anything, but I don't see much of a difference defensively between Serge and Park.

 

[Albatros]

Regarding skating, also Park had his knees go early which started to affect his mobility limiting that peak.

 

[gotyournose]

I think Brad Park was "Bobby Orr lite". He was more physical of a player than he was an elite skater. He was an "okay" skater, but he was a hitter (the master of the hip check... before it was deemed a dirty hit). If Drew Doughty had a more offensive upside (and actually, if he played in the 70's he likely would have) perhaps that's a comparative. Park was built more like a tank, though... kinda like his contemporary Potvin.

Park was a great combination of offense and defense. He was known more for his offensive game, but he was a punishing hitter who was very responsible in his own end. I'm not going to mark them out of 10 or anything, but I don't see much of a difference defensively between Serge and Park.

Interesting

So Brad Park wasn't bad defensively and wasn't too far off from Serge Savard level defence?

If he relied on hitting/physicality and his skating was just okay, he would have a bit of trouble in today's game in terms of dealing with the faster players

 

[DannyGallivan]

Interesting

So Brad Park wasn't bad defensively and wasn't too far off from Serge Savard level defence?

If he relied on hitting/physicality and his skating was just okay, he would have a bit of trouble in today's game in terms of dealing with the faster players

I'm not saying he was a bad skater... you wanted to compare him to perhaps the second greatest skater of all time (Orr), so compared to Orr he was "okay". Hitting was his style because that's the way the game was played. He was very good positionally and he had outstanding skills (passing, shooting, puckhandling). Skills will translate well in any era. He would have still have been a Norris contender today. Perhaps he would have been leaner for quickness instead of strength, but he would also have the benefit of today's fitness and nutrition.

 

[BLNY]

He's arguably one of the best players in league history not to win his major positional award.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I've seen more of late Brad Park than early. So someone like @Fenway or @Canadiens1958 will come along and correct me...

The first guy I thought of as a rough comparable is Ryan McDonagh...really strong defensively, capable of making timely physical plays, good, smart outlet passer...not really a puck rusher across multiple lines unless playing against a team of donkeys...

I don't think the 70's were a particularly strong era for defensemen in general...it took a while for the defense position to mature because of its roots. Look back at the games from before the red line. Guys just stood on their own line. Then you had the outlet passers and the carriers and then the full-on offensive defensemen as time elapsed...the 70's is not a time where the position had really matured. Some guys were doing it, most guys were unable. Then again, in the 70's you had a guy holding up a lit 60 watt bulb next to the sun and going "it's not bright enough!" So I'm sure that had an effect as well...Park likely would not have gotten the recognition today that he got back then...then again, if Orr gets hurt even sooner, who knows what we'd think of him as the Defenseman of Record of a decade.

If Orr is 10/10, Park for me is like 4 or 5/10 probably. Again, I'm a little biased as I'm more familiar with later Park than earlier Park. But he didn't wow with his feet. It's with his smarts, outlet passing, and defensive technique that he won the day.

Park was right up there for me, 9+ out of 10. He was terrific defensively in my viewings. I talk about him here, if you care to read more of my blathering...Top-100 Hockey Players of All-Time - Round 2, Vote 9

 

[Canadiens1958]

I've seen more of late Brad Park than early. So someone like @Fenway or @Canadiens1958 will come along and correct me...

The first guy I thought of as a rough comparable is Ryan McDonagh...really strong defensively, capable of making timely physical plays, good, smart outlet passer...not really a puck rusher across multiple lines unless playing against a team of donkeys...

I don't think the 70's were a particularly strong era for defensemen in general...it took a while for the defense position to mature because of its roots. Look back at the games from before the red line. Guys just stood on their own line. Then you had the outlet passers and the carriers and then the full-on offensive defensemen as time elapsed...the 70's is not a time where the position had really matured. Some guys were doing it, most guys were unable. Then again, in the 70's you had a guy holding up a lit 60 watt bulb next to the sun and going "it's not bright enough!" So I'm sure that had an effect as well...Park likely would not have gotten the recognition today that he got back then...then again, if Orr gets hurt even sooner, who knows what we'd think of him as the Defenseman of Record of a decade.

If Orr is 10/10, Park for me is like 4 or 5/10 probably. Again, I'm a little biased as I'm more familiar with later Park than earlier Park. But he didn't wow with his feet. It's with his smarts, outlet passing, and defensive technique that he won the day.

Park was right up there for me, 9+ out of 10. He was terrific defensively in my viewings. I talk about him here, if you care to read more of my blathering...Top-100 Hockey Players of All-Time - Round 2, Vote 9

More or less. Later Park, Boston to retirement, was hobbled by knee injuries.

Two pairings era so Park usually carried the 4th/5th defenceman

 

[JackSlater]

1. I agree with the Doughty comparison. It's been tossed around a few times and seems reasonable. Doughty with worse skating but better passing.

2. 5 or so. Better than an average skater at the time but not noteworthy by any stretch for a star.

3. 8. Smart, good with angles, as physical as required.

I think that Park is a bit underrated due to the timing of his best years. He also doesn't get the credit he should for his play in the Summit Series. To me he is easily among Canada's main four players who had the biggest impact and by a good distance the best defenceman in the series, with an honourable mention to the underutilized and hurt Savard. The poor rewarding of assists in the series probably hurts him there.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Young Brad Park was one of the better skating defensemen of the time. Very elusive, even when he was hobbled later.

For a defenseman he was also one of the best goal scorers. Not like Orr or Potvin, more like the also underrated Guy Lapointe.

 

[The Pale King]

How effective was Park on the PP with the Rangers? I'm intrugued by the Doughty comparisons but his biggest weakness is his lack of point shot and ability to QB back there effectively. Of course powerplays would have looked very different in the 1970s vs now, but it looks like those Rangers were consistently above league average with the man advantage, whereas it's been the King's Achilles Heel during DD's tenure.

 

[57special]

Yeah, I was about to say that he reminded me more of Guy Lapointe stylistically. Parks bad knees were a constant limiter on his play, just like Orr's were.

 

[Boxscore]

I also think Doughty is a very good comparison for Park, stylistically. Young Park was a good skater and was excellent offensively. Like Doughty--Park was shortish but stocky--but he could play the man very well. Park was excellent at playing the angles and he could throw a nice hip check. One area in which Park outshines Doughty quite a bit is in the passing department--Park was an extraordinary passer--one of the best D passers all-time.

 

[Big Phil]

Doughty seems alright, but better I think. Park might have been someone you wanted to build your franchise around a bit more though. Just slightly. Of course they shot a different way and had different strengths but if you pick a defenseman in the NHL who seems to do everything good then it might be Doughty, and that was Park for sure.

 

[mobilus]

 

[mobilus]

From the '72 Summit Series...

 

[57special]

Orr was the Beatles, Park was the Stones.

I also don't agree that Serge Savard was the greatest Canadien Dman defensively. I thought Laperriere was as good, Robinson, too. The Big 3 had phenomenal support from their forwards like Tremblay, Riseborough, Gainey, etc..

 

[BobbyAwe]

I think Brad Park was "Bobby Orr lite". He was more physical of a player than he was an elite skater. He was an "okay" skater, but he was a hitter (the master of the hip check... before it was deemed a dirty hit). If Drew Doughty had a more offensive upside (and actually, if he played in the 70's he likely would have) perhaps that's a comparative. Park was built more like a tank, though... kinda like his contemporary Potvin.

Park was a great combination of offense and defense. He was known more for his offensive game, but he was a punishing hitter who was very responsible in his own end. I'm not going to mark them out of 10 or anything, but I don't see much of a difference defensively between Serge and Park.

1. Who does Brad Park compare to in more modern times? Put another way, if he was playing in the NHL today would he do as well as he did back then?

2. If Bobby Orr was a 10/10 in terms of skating, what was Brad Park's skating when he was at him peak?

3. How good was his defensive game? If a Serge Savard was a 10/10 defensively, how would you describe Park?

1) No, no one from back then would be as good today (in relation to the rest of the league)

2) I'm not sure he was ever much above average as a skater even before his knees started to degenerate? I've seen a lot of clips but I don't recall him ever going end to end. Probably someone can prove otherwise with some available vid, but I haven't seen it?

3) Park's greatest asset was his MIND - his anticipation, consistency, strategy, and coolness under pressure. He was comparable to Bobby Clarke, not in style, but in that his overall effectiveness was GREATER than the sum of his individual skills.

I'm a Park fan historically, mainly because he was a Bruin , but I'm not convinced he was the 2nd best defenseman of the 70's as many have suggested. I'd put him behind Bourque, Potvin and Robinson and more on a level with players like Lapointe and Savard.