Wish they’d be proactive with certain decisions. Good effort goal aside, only Hockey Guys can convince themselves his intangibles are essential to this team making and/or winning in the playoffs. PP2 will likely be a below average unit because of the QBs, irrespective to the net front, and his 5v5 scoring is replaceable. He’s not make or break.
Intangibles are important, and anyone who says they aren’t is wrong. Playoff hockey requires added physical and mental toughness on a greater scale than regular season hockey. Obviously each round is more difficult than the last.
In the case of Simmonds, he is a guy who can be a leader on the ice. He is a guy you want in your team in the thick of it. It doesn’t mean I want to resign him, as I think should have already been moved. He is going to make too much on his next deal for too long. I stress the too long part. I honestly wouldn’t be mad if he was signed to a high cap/short, but it’s gotta be 3 years or less.
However, what’s more important than attitude is ability - specifically the ability to play at high tempo. And high skill players are not automatically pansies - it’s not a mutually exclusive club. Giroux, Ghost, TK, Provy, Couts and others have shown the required attitude to make a deep playoff run. If the team wins a Cup, it’s going to be Giroux (or similar) lifting the Conn Smythe, not Simmonds.
