Has a "soft" player ever toughened up and played hard?

[Bood12]

I am hoping I am able to come back and put "Brock Nelson" as an answer in this thread

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Jokinen dropped the gloves with Bill Guerin when he was a King, so that would probably have been in 1998-99 as a 21 year old rookie.

He even finished with over 100 PIMs one year.

He was never "soft", per se.

Didnt Jokienen say something about not wanting to be tough but he had a coach who punished him if he wasnt.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Anton Stralman also seems to have toughened up from being this frail skill defenseman who could occasionally lay out a big random hit to a pretty savvy, grizzled playoff workhorse.

Definitely a good example. Was skilled but 'soft' in his early career, though part of his problem was due to a reoccurring health issue. Once Strålman got to the Rangers, the NY doctors cleared up his health problems and Tortorella reshaped the way he played. More than once, Strålman has credited Tortz for his career turnaround.

Now he's the Lightning's smallest defenseman (5'11" 190 lbs) who lays the most hits of all the D on the regular roster. Though his offensive game slumped a bit this season (probably because he was dealing with injury issues during the first part of the season) he still managed to set a career high in hits, blocks and TOI. Doesn't fight much, but is not afraid to dig into the corners, finish a hit and has a nice old school hip check mixed with the occasional open ice hit.

During the IIHF Worlds, he and Hedman were Sweden's top pairing and took turns at having the team high in TOI for each game throughout the tournament. Even dished out a beautiful clean, solid hip check during the Gold Medal game.

Not bad for someone who, when we first signed him, we were warned probably wouldn't be tough enough to physically handle top pairing minutes.

Now if only we could get our 'soft' 6'7", 220 lb. Dman Sustr, to hit now and then.

 

[Flair Hay]

Wheeler has to be some kind of poster boy for this

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Wheeler, I guess.

 

[Mattb124]

For these playoffs, I would say Bobbie Ryan.

 

[Quares27]

Not that he was necessarily soft, but Austin Watson:

Before this season - 74 hits in 63 NHL games, 7 fights in 8 years. Of those 7 fights only 1 was against a guy who fought somewhat regularly (Iginla)

This season (including playoffs) - 224 hits in 93 games, 16 fights. Fought guys like Engelland, Wilson, Mcleod, Thornton, Ferland, Stewart, Maroon, Bieksa

 

[PALE PWNR]

Modano

 

[Lunatik]

Bad example.

It's really not. Stajan may not have avoided contact before, but he really dishes stuff out now and has actually turned into quite the pest that is very involved physically.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

Phil kessel.. .oh wait

 

[JetsHomer]

Came in to vote Wheeler for the Jets, see that's already been said. He was so soft when the team first got here, now he plays like a power forward and even fights sometimes

 

[Ryan Michaels]

If I recall correctly Cody franson was soft as hell in Nashville then started hitting a ton when he went to Toronto, dunno how he is now

I mean I can see why you would think that but it wasn't the case. Toronto had the most liberal hit counter I've ever seen, Franson was the master of the slight nudge that rarely even knocked the opponent off the puck, we saw him knock over Gerbe once but even that wasn't a particularly rough ride for the short man. And he was a large contributor to allowing opposing players open season on the front of the Leafs net. Franson was and always will be soft.

JVR is a guy with size who once every 15 games doesn't play like a coward, but he usually does so he's definitely not eligible I'm just brainstorming if he ever grows a pair he could pull this off. Have to laugh at the Kessel mentions.

Kadri is the only one of the Burke/Nonis era Leafs who this change is true of. That team that was often claimed not to have an identity did, in fact, have one it was being soft as warm butter.

 

[northeastern]

Blake Wheeler.

Agreed. His game changed as he grew

 

[Brewsky]

Oleg Kavasha

This guy had the hardest and most accurate slap shot for me in NHL 2002. Just enter zone and slap it top corner.

I will never forget Oleg Kvasha - what a 3rd line player for me.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Claude Lemieux?

 

[McDLT]

Wheeler became a dad and turned into a thug.

 

[armani]

Bobby ****ing Ryan

From "No Intensity" Bobby (courtesy of Brian Burke for 2014 Olympics selection)..

To Big Game Bobby we see this playoffs

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Matt Stajan and Mikael Backlund are two examples for the Flames (Backlund wasn't really "soft", but as he developed early in his career he went from a pure fundamentally sound checker to a pretty gritty player). Stajan stands out the most to me, because he came to Calgary and was this underwhelming, very unremarkable third line type centre, and impressively he really added some chippiness to his game in his early 30s - later than you'd normally expect from a player.

 

[3074326]

Phil kessel.. .oh wait

What is this about?

 

[vandymeer13]

Not that he was necessarily soft, but Austin Watson:

Before this season - 74 hits in 63 NHL games, 7 fights in 8 years. Of those 7 fights only 1 was against a guy who fought somewhat regularly (Iginla)

This season (including playoffs) - 224 hits in 93 games, 16 fights. Fought guys like Engelland, Wilson, Mcleod, Thornton, Ferland, Stewart, Maroon, Bieksa

Yeah I forgot about him he used to be a absolute puff but decided to play with a edge and throw his body around. Not the greatest fighter but he just got started and I respect him a lot.

 

[urho]

Mikael Granlund is soft as heck, but he really tried to toughen it up last season Wasn't really successful though

He actually hits pretty hard sometimes. And players much bigger than himself like Backes and Kesler.

 

[StevenB]

Not that Kadri was necessarily soft, but he's toughened up in the last 2 years.

 

[glovesave_35]

What is this about?

I take it as a joke that Kessel was never as soft as people may have said.

For my part, I find it almost impossible to call a player who puts up big time points as "soft". It's just too hard to score to get away with being a total perimeter player who doesn't "get involved". It's a hard scoring league. I can't think of a single big time scorer in today's game who is soft.

 

[Mikos87]

Justin Schultz in PIT.

Mike Sullivan smacked the sissy out of him. No longer fearful of hits.

 

[glovesave_35]

Matt Stajan and Mikael Backlund are two examples for the Flames (Backlund wasn't really "soft", but as he developed early in his career he went from a pure fundamentally sound checker to a pretty gritty player). Stajan stands out the most to me, because he came to Calgary and was this underwhelming, very unremarkable third line type centre, and impressively he really added some chippiness to his game in his early 30s - later than you'd normally expect from a player.

Seems like a fair number of guys actually add the chippiness a bit later in their careers. It's a survival thing as every year they are in the league there are more and more guys trying to take their jobs. Of course, you have to survive early in your career without that grit in order to make it to 30 as an NHL'er in the first place.