Players who had everything.. BUT hockey sense.

[Passchendaele]

Can you recall any?

Click to read more...

 

[dcinroc]

Ron Flockhart?

He seemed to have all the skills, but just wan't able to use them effectively.

 

[Epsilon]

Alexei Kovalev.

People talk about how he underperforms because he is lazy or doesn't try hard, but I really think it's just a lack of good hockey sense.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Lindros. As much as I love the guy and how he played the game, he dominated purely on physical attributes. He never was able to get away from cutting into the zone with his head down, or making a pass then starring up ice at the player with the puck instead of protecting himself.

 

[BNHL]

Ken Yaremchuk. #7 pick of the Black Hawks in 82. 400+ points in 200 games in Juniors followed by 90 points in 200 NHL games.

 

[brownman*]

Alexei Kovalev.

People talk about how he underperforms because he is lazy or doesn't try hard, but I really think it's just a lack of good hockey sense.

Nah, he's certainly lacking a bit between the ears, on the ice, but it's hardly enough to put him in a thread like this.

 

[mouser]

Alexandre Daigle

 

[Sadekuuro]

You could probably put the majority of top prospects that busted into this category... the guys with all the obvious skills who just couldn't put it together. Or at least the ones where it can't be attributed to laziness.

 

[Koivu84*]

Mariusz Czerkawski

 

[kmad]

Fedor Fedorov.

 

[Dgill]

Antoine Vermette and Patrik Stefan

 

[Dark Shadows]

Alexei Kovalev.

People talk about how he underperforms because he is lazy or doesn't try hard, but I really think it's just a lack of good hockey sense.

He was the first guy I thought of in this thread.

The guy has a phenomenal blend of individual skill, shooting, passing stickhandling and Skating but sometimes you just question why he did what he did.

Often you wonder why he stickhandled right past the goalie into the stands, even though you were admiring his stickhandling while he had the puck. Sometimes, he would shoot when he should have passed, and vice versa.

 

[Steelhead16]

Billy Tibbetts

 

[HotPie]

Nah, he's certainly lacking a bit between the ears, on the ice, but it's hardly enough to put him in a thread like this.

I actually agree with Kovalev, he was the first guy I thought of too. His hockey sense isn't terrible, but it's what stops him from being a truly elite player.

He probably has one of the best if not the best all-round skill set in the league, but he makes questionable plays often.

And I love Kovalev BTW.

 

[pappyline]

Eddie Shack comes to mind. Great natural ability. Fantastic skater with a hard shot & very physical. Came into the NHL with great fanfare. Put together a fairly good career but was never a good positional player. Would run into his team mates almost as often as the opposition.

 

[BNHL]

Billy Tibbetts

My buddy,saw him today,what's your address?

 

[Big Phil]

Rico Fata. The first guy I thought of. In fact on his draft day when he was drafted 6th or 7th overall with the Flames it was posted on the jumbotron the he had "limited hockey sense." Not very classy, but it was kind of true. Fata was the kind of guy that could probably skate just as fast as anyone in the NHL, even today, but his head never caught up to his feet. He would get the puck caught in his feet all the time. In the '99 WJC he was flying all over creation like a madman but never capitalized on anything really.

 

[MS]

Rico Fata. The first guy I thought of. In fact on his draft day when he was drafted 6th or 7th overall with the Flames it was posted on the jumbotron the he had "limited hockey sense." Not very classy, but it was kind of true. Fata was the kind of guy that could probably skate just as fast as anyone in the NHL, even today, but his head never caught up to his feet. He would get the puck caught in his feet all the time. In the '99 WJC he was flying all over creation like a madman but never capitalized on anything really.

There have been a few guys like this. Ken Yaremchuk was already mentioned, and Dave Archibald was another very high pick who had great wheels but no head for the game at all. Tom Chorske was similar, too - had size, wheels, and a huge shot, but no hockey sense, but at least Chorske managed to carve out a solid career as a checker.

__________

For me, though, the definitive guy along these lines was Chris Joseph. As a defender, the guy had everything you needed to be a perennial all-star and top-10 defender in this league. Was 6'3, 210 and had a smooth, effortless skating stride with excellent lateral mobility. Wasn't afraid to play physical. Could throw crisp outlet passes 80 feet tape-to-tape with the best in the game. And had a great shot, both a quality slapper and a laserbeam of a wrister that could beat a goalie clean from 30-40 feet out. Was a 5th overall pick, was playing in the NHL a few weeks after his 18th birthday, and a cornerstone of the Paul Coffey trade while still a teenager. Was supposed to be a franchise defender, and had all the tools be a star.

But he was just dumb as a fencepost in his own zone. Hung around the NHL for almost 15 years as a depth defender, and could never learn how to read the play, and could never stop himself from chasing the puck around like a chicken with its head cut off. As a result, he was never more than a depth guy. I've never seen a player so easily and so consistently confused by a forward crossover on a 2-on-2 rush. Simply couldn't maintain his side of the ice. Huge waste of talent.

 

[noobman]

Chad Kilger, in terms of offensive instincts. He's a good PK guy.

 

[Stone87]

Chris Gratton

 

[Crosbyfan]

Eddie Shack comes to mind. Great natural ability. Fantastic skater with a hard shot & very physical. Came into the NHL with great fanfare. Put together a fairly good career but was never a good positional player. Would run into his team mates almost as often as the opposition.

He was the first guy that came to mind. Unbelievable skater and crowd pleaser...in a "ready to watch a train wreck" kind of way.

 

[DaveG]

David Tanabe. Unbelievable skater, great shot, great stickhandling skills, decent size. He could have been one of the better offensive defensemen in the league had he any kind of hockey sense whatsoever.

 

[Stephen]

Ric Jackman. All the size and skill you'd want in a defenseman but no head for the game. Probably the same can be said for David Cooper too.

 

[JaymzB]

Vladimir Malakhov.

 

[HVPOLARBEARS19]

Interesting topic, I like the vote for Fata. However, how about the player who had the least limited ability but the best hockey sense, and was able to have a successful career because of it?