from Travis Yost of TSN,

One of the hockey narratives I’ve always been curious about is the reputation that veterans pick up as the steady, reliable defensive options.

The reputation seems to be built out of the fact that these players have extensive experience at the NHL level, and through that experience, they have a built in advantage as it comes to deterring shots, scoring chances, and goals. They’ve seen every situation play out a thousand times over, and have a better feel for what to do – and what not to do – to keep the puck out of the back of their net. And, because they’re the ‘survivors’ of their draft classes, there is a very strong chance they are or were very sound players in their playing prime.

While I concede experience matters quite a bit, I get nervous about jumping to the conclusion that others sometimes do here. For one, the other side of the question is less frequently addressed. Younger players may not have the valuable experience, but the physical attributes – namely speed, agility, power, and stamina – should factor in here, especially from a defensive perspective.

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