What would you do? (Hypothetical question)

[HockeyBen]

You have two players of equal average ability in all almost all aspects of the game.

The only difference one is an exceptional skater and the other is an exceptional stick handler.

Which player is more useful to your team and what position do you play each of them.

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[Filthy Dangles]

Skating ability is the most fundamental and important skill in hockey and the biggest thing that separates players, if you had to pick one skill. So I'd have to say lean toward the exceptional skater.

As for the position thing, with the limited info given, I'd have to say the exceptional skater should probably play center and the exceptional stick handler would probably be best on the wing.

 

[jw2]

Like a mens league team? Depends on the division.

Lower division I have speed at C, stick handling on D. Upper division I have stick handling at C with the speed on his wing.

 

[Slats432]

You have two players of equal average ability in all almost all aspects of the game.

The only difference one is an exceptional skater and the other is an exceptional stick handler.

Which player is more useful to your team and what position do you play each of them.

The skater can be either defense or centre, and the stickhandler should be a winger, based on the little information we have.

 

[BoardsofCanada]

I would put the speed on D. There's nothing more effective than a fast d-man that can skate the puck up the ice and set up a play in the offensive zone. As for the stickhandler; I've played against guys who were mediocre skaters but once they were in the offensive zone, you just couldn't get the puck off them because of their puck control. So yeah, put the stickhandler on the wing or center.

 

[biturbo19]

I mean, it depends on what sort of "exceptional" skating we're talking about. Are they just fast in a straight line, or are they like a top notch all-around skater in every direction?

Like...if they're only fast going forward, you might as well make them a winger or something and deal with it. The stickhandling only really matters, if they're going to be handling the puck a lot. If they can't skate, it's going to make it kinda useless to have them doing anything else, though there's always that hotdog who can stickhandle their way out of any phonebooth.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

You have two players of equal average ability in all almost all aspects of the game.

The only difference one is an exceptional skater and the other is an exceptional stick handler.

Which player is more useful to your team and what position do you play each of them.

like others have mentioned, depends on the league.

Skating imo is more important and can take a player further. So if it’s like a typical beer league game, definitely the stronger skater.

Stronger skater on D, better stick handler on forward.

If the level is high enough where everyone can skate well, then the skater would have to be ridiculously elite to keep up if his puck handling is garbage.

 

[Apocalypse Dude]

I want them both to play D. I don't even care if they're on the same pairing but having defensemen that can skate/stick handle the puck out of trouble makes life a lot easier as a forward.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Assuming you are talking about all-round skating and not just pure speed, skating is almost always going to trump stickhandling in overall usefulness.

You want your top skaters at D most of the time, perhaps C if they have the offensive flair for it.

The good stickhandler is going to be a useful player, but in a more limited way.