Quote:
Originally Posted by Banger
the point is that you and many others have had your mind made up on the player he will be/can be...based on previous incidents, minor league stats, etc.. To me I've seen a kid that is absolutely driven to succeed and make the most of his abilities and do whatever it takes to play and make it in the NHL despite the odds. "You" have seen him as what he was and I tend to look at him in what he's done to turn the page....he was fat and out of shape...he dedicated himself all offseason, moved to Philly to train with the club, dropped the weight and got kudos from the organization. He was told that his antics aren't going to work in the NHL and he's been great..no bad penalties/suspensions and has made some nice hits and played solid games.
If you would have told me at this point last year that he would make the team this year out of training camp I would have thought you were nuts. It's obvious that the organization sees something in the kid and he's not just a dime a dozen goon that so many have classified him as.
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I have not made up my mind on what he can be; I just know what he is, and what he is is someone who needs to learn more ways to contribute. I said this in the post you quoted:
"If he can work on his defense, pk'ing, and keep himself under control then he could definitely be an effective 4th liner. He just isn't there yet."
That's not me making my mind up on someone.