Too often the focus on a young player in the NHL is about what he doesn't do well or facets of his game or personality that may be a product of being a young player.
When Alex Ovechkin entered the League, he reached levels of performance no hockey player has since before a combination of goaltending equipment and instruction and evolution of defensive systems and video technology made suppressing offense easier for even bad teams.
Yet there was always a but. Sure, he's the most gifted goal scorer of his generation, but questions about his defensive play and ultimately the failures of the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs were pinned on him.
Patrick Kane, Carey Price, P.K. Subban; going back further it was players like Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux who had their overall game questioned before they matured into fully-formed superstar talents. And maturity for many of these players mentioned was a big part of the criticism.
This leads to a discussion about Evander Kane, who was the focus of one of the most fascinating trades in the NHL in years Wednesday. If the first-round pick is counted, six assets who have yet to turn 25 years old and a seventh who has been 25 for 12 days changed franchises. The team in "buying" mode added three of the four prospects (again, counting the pick as a prospect), and the team in "selling" mode may very well have added the two best players.