Doughty - Is he worth it?
Suck on this Schralp
As I think back, I like to contrast my first impression of Drew Doughty to my first impression of Anze Kopitar. The impressions were nothing alike. In fact, they were complete polar opposites. I can vividly remember my first live look at Kopi, a preseason game, and just being awed by his power, speed, flow, and the way he controlled the game while on the ice. I was excited to see our future looming so brightly and immediately proclaimed him a future super star.
On the other hand, I can also remember the first time I watched Drew Doughty play. I was so befuddled by his constant pee wee level mistakes, bungling, and poor turnovers that I turned to my friend and finally said, "This guy sucks." I never let up either. I couldn't believe that they kept putting him on the ice. The lady next to me finally had heard more than she could stand, and finally, with an angry and frustrated look, said to me, "He doesn't suck, and he's only eighteen." I was a bit taken aback, but I admired her loyalty and her passion. While I seem to be the only Kings fan that has ever felt this way, the reality was that in his early years he made an inordinate amount of mistakes. Even well into and past the first Stanley Cup run, despite his fantastic talent, fundamentally he was still a bit lacking. In hindsight, this was understandable. His entire life prior to entering the NHL, his talent had transcended the fundamentals, and he had never needed to be constrained by them. Things were different in the NHL however. Even though he had more talent than nearly everyone in the league, the margins of difference were much smaller, and the players were smarter, with more experience. As a result, his mistakes stood out, and were often costly.
I will now readily admit that the lady next to me, and the Kings staff were right. He didn't suck. Doughty needed that freedom and time to develop while playing in the NHL. He needed time and experience to learn how to apply his unique skills at the highest level. Their patience paid off. Though my frustration wore off long after the first calls for him to receive the Norris Trophy could be heard, my frustration eventually faded into trust and admiration. His offense is self explanatory. His defensive prowess is a bit more subtle, but to those watching stands tall and proud, which might explain why Connor McDavid can't stand him. He takes on the leadership role willingly, skating against the best the league has to offer every game, and logging more ice time than nearly everyone else in the NHL. If all of this wasn't enough, he's only missed 17 games. Not a season, but over his entire career. That is an average of less than two games a year, and he hasn't missed any game since 11/12. He is the best defensemen in the NHL, and his desire to get paid like it, is absolutely reasonable. He deserves to get paid, paid as a KIng.
On the other hand, I can also remember the first time I watched Drew Doughty play. I was so befuddled by his constant pee wee level mistakes, bungling, and poor turnovers that I turned to my friend and finally said, "This guy sucks." I never let up either. I couldn't believe that they kept putting him on the ice. The lady next to me finally had heard more than she could stand, and finally, with an angry and frustrated look, said to me, "He doesn't suck, and he's only eighteen." I was a bit taken aback, but I admired her loyalty and her passion. While I seem to be the only Kings fan that has ever felt this way, the reality was that in his early years he made an inordinate amount of mistakes. Even well into and past the first Stanley Cup run, despite his fantastic talent, fundamentally he was still a bit lacking. In hindsight, this was understandable. His entire life prior to entering the NHL, his talent had transcended the fundamentals, and he had never needed to be constrained by them. Things were different in the NHL however. Even though he had more talent than nearly everyone in the league, the margins of difference were much smaller, and the players were smarter, with more experience. As a result, his mistakes stood out, and were often costly.
I will now readily admit that the lady next to me, and the Kings staff were right. He didn't suck. Doughty needed that freedom and time to develop while playing in the NHL. He needed time and experience to learn how to apply his unique skills at the highest level. Their patience paid off. Though my frustration wore off long after the first calls for him to receive the Norris Trophy could be heard, my frustration eventually faded into trust and admiration. His offense is self explanatory. His defensive prowess is a bit more subtle, but to those watching stands tall and proud, which might explain why Connor McDavid can't stand him. He takes on the leadership role willingly, skating against the best the league has to offer every game, and logging more ice time than nearly everyone else in the NHL. If all of this wasn't enough, he's only missed 17 games. Not a season, but over his entire career. That is an average of less than two games a year, and he hasn't missed any game since 11/12. He is the best defensemen in the NHL, and his desire to get paid like it, is absolutely reasonable. He deserves to get paid, paid as a KIng.
Comments
Post a Comment