With the Los Angeles Kings currently enjoying a break that extends from Sunday to Thursday, my immediate attentions turned to the Manchester Monarchs.
The Kings minor league affiliate is gearing up for a back-to-back road matchup against the St. John's Ice Caps tonight and tomorrow. The Monarchs have been nothing short of outstanding this year and currently lead the standings for the Eastern Conference and the entire AHL. It has been a year of transitions for the team, who let go of coach Mark Morris this last off-season and brought in former Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mike Stothers. They also had to part way with three burgeoning young stars who carried the offense for them last season: Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, and Linden Vey.
With Pearson and Toffoli entering the NHL and Vey heading to Vancouver, the Monarchs were going to be a team that had its depth tested this year. Not only have they risen to the challenge, but they have surpassed a lot of expectations that people had.
They are led by a trio of unlikely forwards: Jordan Weal, Nick Shore, and Brian O'Neill. While you have probably heard of the former two by now due to Kings training camp and updates from sites like Hockey's Future and LA Kings Insider, the latter has a mystique.
O'Neill, 26, is an undrafted, former Yale Bulldog that stands at a hefty 5'8". This is his third full season in the AHL, and he currently leads the Monarchs in points with 42 points through 34 games. He and Shore have linked up this year to create a dynamic duo for the Monarchs, and his outstanding play has seen him receive the AHL Player of the Month award for December.
But what about his NHL future? How many of you saw 5'8" and thought immediately about his NHL future? It isn't uncommon. The same has been said about other King prospects. Brandon Kozun, now a Leafs prospect, was also questioned due to his size. Jordan Weal, who stands at 5'10", has also had questions raised about his size.
These concerns may have been real six or seven years ago, but now a days it seems like less and less of an issue.
While O'Neill's 5'8" size has implications on his ability to take on the physical aspect of the game, there are players in the NHL right now who are excelling with a similar diminutive stature.
The 5'9" Johnny Gaudreau, a 4th round selection for the Flames in 2011, is currently proving a lot of people wrong about how he would stand up to the physicality of the game. Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning is currently 5th in the entire NHL in scoring, and he too stands at 5'9". Not to mention Johnson's exceptional linemate, Nikita Kucherov, stands at around 5'10 and is also excelling this season. How could we forget Nathan Gerbe also? A 5'5" firecracker who has made a living on NHL bottom lines.
Brad Marchand (5'9"), David Desharnais (5'6"), Jiri Hudler (5'9"), Marty St. Louis (5'8")...
There is a growing list of successful NHLers who come in at what you would describe as "Undersized."
In the dead puck era it was all about size and strength. You had to be big and you had to be able to muscle guys off the puck. You obviously still need that in today's game, but with rule changes and tweaks to officiating there are more and more ways to excel as a hockey player.
Watching Johnny Gaudreau or Tyler Johnson play, you realize that size no longer is a disadvantage in the NHL. Players of smaller stature are using their speed, agility, and shiftiness on and off the puck to free themselves from bigger and slower players. It's about knowing your strengths and playing to them. Gaudreau obviously isn't going to fare well getting into a shoving match with Zdeno Chara, but he just might be able to out skate him or sneak in behind him on a backdoor play. Without being able to clutch and grab so frequently, players can get free, and use a smaller more agile frame to an advantage. Isn't that really the way it should be? Maybe it seems unfair for the bigger and stronger players, but imagine the days when being 5'9" was coupled with a more lax approach to holding, interference, hooking etc.
The game has evolved over the last ten years, and for players like Brian O'Neill that is a very positive thing. You don't have to be a hulking 6'4" beast anymore, just as you don't have to be from a "Hockey market".
We are seeing a younger generation and wider variety of players enter the game these days.
There are still teams out there who focus on size versus skill, strength over speed, and defense versus offense. Some players won't have utility in certain systems, but will be valuable assets in another. That's just the nature of the beast. Will Brian O'Neill and Jordan Weal get their fair shakes in a heavy Kings system? Tough to say. Only they and the Kings can answer that question.
The best thing about it all though is that no matter the size or style of a player, it's wide open. Players who weren't afforded a shot 10 years ago have as much opportunity today as ever.
For the Nathan Gerbes and Brian O'Neills of the world that's what it's all about.
If you want to listen to Brian O'Neill, Nick Shore, and the Monarchs take on other AHL opponents you can listen to games live on their website.
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