Mess
Global Moderator
I remember when the Babcock-led wings won the cup - specifically, I was sitting with a Red Wings fan whom said that Babcock loved his role players - I cant' remember all of them (pls. excuse accuracy) but guys like McCarty were critical to their success.
I don't know what role player means anymore - I think iit meant players relegated down the depth chart that ultimately resulted in less playing playing time and less involvement in critical parts of the game;
I'd be interested in knowing playing time for the team as I suspect that it's relatively even except for special teams; in which case, I'd suspect that players like Brown aren't role players anymore but rather just interchangeable parts on a cycling lineup.
A lot of fans like the flash and dash players, but its the meat and potato players that are just as important to a teams success.