How the hell did Craig Adams play 951 games in the NHL?

[BLNY]

Almost unbelievably bad goal-scoring, garbage FO%, a minus player every year... the uselessness doesn't end. I know Disco Dan Bylsma was obsessed with him, but he clearly wasn't the only one. Slush money from Brunei? Harvard old boys network? How??

How did he play? Mostly under the radar.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

It's kind of a cute idea. The franchise's "iron man" as Iron Man. Not brilliant, but I don't see it as embarrassing.

...

Did you not see the picture?

 

[Socks]

First he played 950 games and then he played 1 more.

 

[Crosbyfan]

This is right up there with the caramilk secret.....

The answer is the same in each case...because they are put on the ice.

 

[Roboturner913]

how the hell did craig adams play 951 games in the nhl?

View attachment 94733

These were the years after he got old and slowed down. I can only guess what his hit numbers would've been earlier in his career had they tracked them then, but the guy hit everything that moved. He was pretty much the prototype 4th line energy forward.

 

[PensBeerGeek]

2 year contract over 35, so couldn't retire or be demoted.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma

This.

 

[Son Goku]

He was never any good at all after 2009.

 

[Son Goku]

But seriously I don't know who I hate worse, Adams or Kunitz.

 

[hagelin1381]

Yuck. This is almost as bad as that one cartoon bylsma pic. But yeah. Not a good player. Wasn't good at anything except for trying really, and for the last few years here in Pittsburgh he was a complete liability every time he touched the ice

 

[Human]

Dan Bylsma

edit: basically Dan Bylsma vented all his frustrations of his ****** career as a player by using a similar player ad nauseam for a winning team.

 

[iamjs]

It's kind of a cute idea. The franchise's "iron man" as Iron Man. Not brilliant, but I don't see it as embarrassing.

it's the way that he got there that was embarrassing, often sacrificing rookies in the pressbox so "the streak" could continue.

After the 2009 Cup, he got himself a two year deal. I didn't have a problem with that. I get trying to keep part of the team intact. After the 2010-11 season, he should have been sent packing.

But not with Shero and Bylsma, Adams wasn't going anywhere. Not only did he score himself a second two year contract after the wheels fell off, he also landed a THIRD two year contract. I think the 2013 signing was a breaking point with a lot of fans.

I bet a friend $20 that Adams would wind up either in Buffalo with Bylsma or in Jersey with Shero, even going as far as making a photoshop of the potential Adams' signing.

Thankfully that friend never followed up on that bet.

 

[Paulinvancouver]

One game at a time.

 

[Brownies]

I remember that 4 line of Carolina always being in our zone... Hated those guys and Adams was one of 'em.

So he was a really good 4th liner for a time and lived on that reputation for perhaps too long, but I'll still remember him as an effective energy guy in Carolina.

 

[BruinsFan37]

Career 4th liner.

Really depends on how you see the 4th line. Most coaches/teams don't have the talent to roll four lines and see the 4th line as a way to suck up minutes and give their 1st and 2nd lines a rest so they're fresh/rested for the 3rd period. In that case you don't want a bunch of rookies that will give up a bunch of goals, you want somebody who won't make a lot of stupid mistakes in the 7-9 minutes they're out there each night. Career 4th liners like Adams fill that bill, his role wasn't to score goals, it was not give up stupid goals while Crosby and Malkin (and others) were sitting on the bench taking a breather, because not even Crosby can play 40+ minutes a night.

 

[ColePens]

It's insane. And to think I saw Tanner Glass on my television tonight, too. I've never seen 2 players do so little and stay in the league so long. I honestly do not think these guys would even have successful AHL careers.

 

[Jesus Vitale]

Bylsma healthy scratched Jussi Jokinen so Adams could play in 2013.

Tanner Glass, and Craig Adams made up 2/3 of the Penguins 4th line for an extended period. Good times...

A lot of guys were healthy scratched over Adams' Penguins career, and yet as far as I know, Craig never was one of them. Guys like Letestu, Richard Park, Tangradi, etc. werent super stars who deserve to never be scratched, but Craig Adams certainly never provided enough to justify to never be scratched a single time to give other 4th liners/tweeners a shot.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Almost unbelievably bad goal-scoring, garbage FO%, a minus player every year... the uselessness doesn't end. I know Disco Dan Bylsma was obsessed with him, but he clearly wasn't the only one. Slush money from Brunei? Harvard old boys network? How??

Actually, the bolded is pretty much why he lasted that long. Bylsma loved him and Shero catered to Bylsma's wishes.

Adams was an ECHL-level player for about the last 3 years he played for the Pens. Before that he was a dime-a-dozen 4th liner who probably should have been swapped out for a younger guy. But Bylsma loved him, so he kept getting re-signed and kept getting played.

Is it any wonder the Pens stopped re-signing him the moment Bylsma was no longer around?

 

[Spectra]

Like Cleary in Detroit, but he had more talent so that's more understandable.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Ray Shero loved the guy. He likely played 5 seasons longer than he ever should have because of this. People saying Dan Bylsma are not correct, in the HBO special about the Penguins, Shero can be over heard saying he'd fight Dan to keep Adams in the line-up. When your GM loves a plug that much, the coach likely had no choice. Not that Dan wasn't terrible with player management himself and there are countless examples there, Shero loved Craig Adams almost to a fault.

 

[Coastal Kev]

He was a damn good penalty killer.

Also blackmail. Mostly blackmail. He wasn't good enough on the PK to make up for how utterly horrible he was at everything else his final ~350 games.

Hatred for Adams was one of the few unifying topics on the Penguins board going back all the way to at least 2011.

 

[sharkhawk]

Salary Cap. Someone has to fill out the roster.

Craig Adams never earned more than $700,000 per season.

We have a winner.

 

[End of Line]

He gave 100% at all times, coaches could trust him knowing he will bring the same thing every shift. Players also respected him for his leadership, he forced players to work just as hard as him

He was Bylsma's boy

 

[Clatartar]

You must've been watching a different Craig Adams.

You're replying to Craig Adams.

 

[SotasicA]

Dan Bylsma

edit: basically Dan Bylsma vented all his frustrations of his ****** career as a player by using a similar player ad nauseam for a winning team.

Very good point. Dan saw himself in Adams, and just had to play him.