Kent Hughes and the Canadiens may have found their next Scott Stevens
Known for his bone-crushing hits, Scott Stevens was a menace to his opponents, and the Canadiens might have found their own version of him.
Indeed, their 4th round pick, 102nd overall in the last draft, Owen Protz, is a robust left-handed defenseman who played alongside Florian Xhekaj in Brantford, OHL.
When he's on the ice, opposing players know they need to keep their heads up. His greatest wish is for NHL commentators to mention his name when it comes to hard-hitting play, much like Scott Stevens or Niklas Kronwall.
Protz is a solid defenseman, standing at 6'1" and weighing 213 lbs at just 18 years old. He already has great timing when it comes to delivering hits. Imagine him at full maturity!
Scott Stevens injured many players and even ended some careers. We remember his hits to the head on Paul Kariya and Eric Lindros, for example.
When he played, it was allowed, and players just had to keep their heads up. We can say that the NHL has evolved since then, as this kind of action is no longer tolerated.
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, do physical defensemen still have a place in today's NHL? | ||
| Yes | 370 | 96.9 % |
| No | 12 | 3.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
