Mike Gillis Wants To Get "Younger & Bigger" - My Take

[ThaBestPlaceOnEarth]

NJD are po'd at Cam Janssen right now, Gillis should offer them a fifth, we need a guy like that.

[westcoast]

If any of those shorter stars mentioned were bigger and stronger they would have dominated even more

[Shoreline74]

Younger and bigger in separate pieces...makes a lot of sense to me.

Fourth line made up of kids...Jensen LW -- Schroeder C -- Kassian RW. Play them 8-9 minutes per game...let them learn their craft in the NHL and accept that they will cost us regular season points. We have probably one year free pass to win the NW Division, so timing is good to bring the kids in now.

[Onside]

In 1997, The Hockey News commemorated their 50th anniversary with a list of the 50 top NHL players of all-time

The top ten players, in order, were:

Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Terry Sawchuk and Eddie Shore.^[3]

^{Gretzky 6 '}

^{Orr 5 ' 11}

^{Howe  6' 1 "}

^{Le Mieux 6' 4"}

^{M. Richard  5' 10"}

^{Harvey 5' 11"}

^{Beliveau  6' 3"}

^{Hull  5' 10"}

^{Sawchuk  5' 11"}

^{Shore  5' 11"}

^{Six of the top 10 all time best players in NHL history were 5' 11" and under.}

^{Seven of the top ten all time best players in NHL history were 6' and under.}

Quantity will never replace quality.

[AndyBernard]

In 1997, The Hockey News commemorated their 50th anniversary with a list of the 50 top NHL players of all-time

The top ten players, in order, were:

Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Terry Sawchuk and Eddie Shore.^[3]

^{Gretzky 6 '}

^{Orr 5 ' 11}

^{Howe 6' 1 "}

^{Le Mieux 6' 4"}

^{M. Richard 5' 10"}

^{Harvey 5' 11"}

^{Beliveau 6' 3"}

^{Hull 5' 10"}

^{Sawchuk 5' 11"}

^{Shore 5' 11"}

^{Six of the top 10 all time best players in NHL history were 5' 11" and under.}

^{Seven of the top ten all time best players in NHL history were 6' and under.}

Quantity will never replace quality.

[nuck nit]

My points won't reach your brain until you re-read what I wrote without acting like this is a pissing contest. But I will outline my point in very simple terms for you one last time, just to eliminate any confusion: Skill = good. Skill + size = better. If you actually think that's false, I would say you probably don't have Mensa knocking at your door.

[nuck nit]

And at 5'10" Bobby Hull was considered "big' at the time. You fail to realize (or at least recognize) that each generation is bigger than the last. Players considered big in the 60's are below average size now. But never let it be said you can't at least try to prove a point using "stats".

[King of the ES]

I just said those players were all relatively bigger than their raw data implied. This is professional sports, every inch counts. There might be a good sprinter who isn't all that tall either but at some point, the trend of massive Kenyan men dominating the sport kind of dawns on you. Size matters

[Drop Em]

Gillis signed 5'10" Andrew Ebbett.

And so he should have-two game winners in the limited ice he saw in 18 gp.

Five goals,two GWG's.

Big guys are over rated and if the OP is providing a Gillis quote,I don't see it. The reality of this signing and the reality of what constitutes a great hockey player is not youth or size.

Quantity will never replace Quality.

[Drop Em]

It's called BPA, which percentage wise is the best potential for return, at least in the first 2-3 rounds. For the later rounds, you can try and draft for organizational or positional needs, but those picks generally have very little success translating to the NHL level. The other option past your first couple of picks is to go after boom or bust players, high potential but concerns over development, foot speed, wants to come over from Europe, etc.

He has tried to draft for the best player that's fallen to him in the draft and has been a little more curious beyond that. There have been some later round picks I have some faith in and others that appear to be outright fliers, but I think he's done an good job at the draft so far.

Besides, I'd like you to back up your claim that mainly undersized guys were drafted. Can you give me a full list and come up with better than 1/3rd that were undersized?

[Drop Em]

In 1997, The Hockey News commemorated their 50th anniversary with a list of the 50 top NHL players of all-time

The top ten players, in order, were:

Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Terry Sawchuk and Eddie Shore.^[3]

^{Gretzky 6 '}

^{Orr 5 ' 11}

^{Howe 6' 1 "}

^{Le Mieux 6' 4"}

^{M. Richard 5' 10"}

^{Harvey 5' 11"}

^{Beliveau 6' 3"}

^{Hull 5' 10"}

^{Sawchuk 5' 11"}

^{Shore 5' 11"}

^{Six of the top 10 all time best players in NHL history were 5' 11" and under.}

^{Seven of the top ten all time best players in NHL history were 6' and under.}

Quantity will never replace quality.

[Drop Em]

A bit of misrepresentation of the facts here since hockey players haven't stayed the same size over the years, they've grown a ton. Howe at 6'1" was Lemieux-sized in an era when some goalies were 5'8". Basically, the earlier the player's first season, the more inches you should add on to get a real idea of what they were like to their competition

[Drop Em]

Totally agree. The only way it's a factor is if the smaller player in question buys all the media/fan/Gillis hoopla about "the importance of size", and it adversely affects his play. But even then, that's a character flaw (lack of self-belief), and not evidence that it's size which is holding him back.

It's complete nonsense that a guy who's 6'3" and 200 lbs. is somehow inherently more valuable than a guy who's 5'11" and 200 lbs.

[hudson bay rules]

makes it sound like he's a old gay guy

[Drop Em]

Let's go with your theory.

Why did Gillis just re-sign Ebbett ? He is 5'9" tall. 172 lbs..Every other NHL winger available must be taller and larger than he is?

Why was Ebbett able to score five goals and two game winners in 18 games played?

If Gillis is prescribing to your theory Ebbett is never signed but will indeed play another season for the Nucks.

Let's take 5' 11" Keith Ballard. Nobody hits harder,more strategically and with greater emphasis than this 'shrimp'.

Not only can he take you out with a variety of clean,old-fashioned hockey moves but he can clean your clock,even if you are 6'3".He has repeatedly demonstrated his capabilities at performing both tasks extremely well.

The height factor having supremacy in the talent and heart department is ridiculous.

Size matters to you.

[Drop Em]

Whatever,please explain why GIllis just re-signed Ebbett and Ballard was the most effective,physical D man on the team if bigger guys are better.Where are they?

Yeah,I think that's false and the facts of history support it.Instead of telling me what is without providing any facts in your defense I will go with the actual record.

Just so you get it through your superior mind set,skill is not and never will be determined by size.

You think size and skill is 'better', the facts tell you differently but you still wish to berate and dictate.

[nuck nit]

You talk like Ebbett is a superstar or something. He's a journeyman NHL player which just means that he's a mediocre to slightly mediocre NHL player.

Why did Gillis re-sign Ebbett and where are the bigger players is exactly what a lot of fans would like to know, especially after his comments about getting bigger and stronger.

[Drop Em]

He is a serviceable NHL journeyman.

The fact is he is 5'9" and a very serviceable NHL journeyman.

[Drybone]

It really would be nice to get younger and bigger but I think every GM wants this. Easier said than done.

I think we can give Kassian a bigger role this year. That would be fantastic.

[VAN_FAN_MATT]

Bigger and Younger???

Sounds exactly like Bobby Ryan.......

Jk I'm one of those people who know that it won't happen.