DisgruntledGoat*
Registered User
- Dec 26, 2010
- 4,301
- 27
It seems to me Hal Gill is a pretty unique player, in terms of the way his career has developed. In broad strokes, this is what I think of when I think of Gill:
* A guy who brings almost no discernable talent to the table, other than size.
* A guy who, at more than one juncture of his career, was written off as being too slow/too lumbering/too talentless to remain in the NHL.
* A guy who, despite these criticisms, emerged, later in his career, as a playoff performer (relatively) and defensive bulwark in multiple post-seasons.
* Stanley Cup winner.
Now, please note that I am not saying Hal Gill is a great player. But I have been trying to think of another player with a similar career progression and haven't come up with anything. The closest may be Uwe Krupp; but, unlike Gill who seems to get better with age, Krupp basically imploded after signing with Detroit.
Thoughts?
* A guy who brings almost no discernable talent to the table, other than size.
* A guy who, at more than one juncture of his career, was written off as being too slow/too lumbering/too talentless to remain in the NHL.
* A guy who, despite these criticisms, emerged, later in his career, as a playoff performer (relatively) and defensive bulwark in multiple post-seasons.
* Stanley Cup winner.
Now, please note that I am not saying Hal Gill is a great player. But I have been trying to think of another player with a similar career progression and haven't come up with anything. The closest may be Uwe Krupp; but, unlike Gill who seems to get better with age, Krupp basically imploded after signing with Detroit.
Thoughts?