ThePhoenixx
Registered User
- Aug 7, 2005
- 9,285
- 5,751
yeah I don't agree here. Its one thing to improve your skating to a great degree as a teen. Its another to do it a decade later. Gagner has never been one to waffle on off season training either, he stays in shape and even saw the necessity to become bigger, to play in this league, and he's 200lbs. Some might say he should be smaller, but try telling somebody that had their face rearranged through a non hockey play that they should be smaller out there in the NHL shark tank. Gagner realized getting stronger was part of self protection. Its hard to get both bigger and faster.
I love Draisaitl all day but Leon had one primary thing to do, get faster. He already had the stature, size, strength. Drai being slow was also being overstated and with big players its very much an optical illusion. PLENTY of the same people laughing at Drai, saying he's slow and lazy were stating that still LAST SEASON. If we're being clear. To me Drai improved first stride acceleration. That made a difference. Gags worked on the first stride acceleration years ago, and had it even in his rookie season.
But painting Gagner as the player with a bad attitude that doesn't respond to suggestions? I don't know that is accurate. If you give some stated citations I'll consider the point. In the absence of that I don't know its true that he "doesn't listen".
The comments were made for a reason.
Crosby worked on his skating all summer. Well documented. He's pretty smart. Obviously he thought he could improve. To say you cannot improve on a physical something in your twenties is just not right.