Joe Pavelski, the Antithesis of Jason Spezza
Quick note to mention my piece in D Magazine today about Joe Pavelski’s impact during his half-decade in Dallas.
This isn’t meant to drag Spezza, whom I loved to watch. But the two players were brought in for very similar reasons, and their time ended with two very different results.
The stats tell the story just fine, but one thing I didn’t include in this piece is how much more of an impact Joe Pavelski made up and down the organization. Spezza came in and scored some, but it was never enough to overcome the other flaws in the roster, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his final season ended with the infamous Jim Lites quote that didn’t even bother to mention him.
Spezza was underappreciated during his final two years, but he didn’t help Benn become a better captain the way Pavelski did. Part of that was timing, as Pavelski didn’t go from Lindy Ruff to Ken Hitchcock the way Spezza had to. But the other part of it is just how Pavelski radiates leadership and confidence in a way different from many other NHL players.
I haven’t talked to hundreds of NHLers, but I’ve talked to more than one or two. And I’ll tell you right now, Pavelski commands respect in a way unlike almost anyone else. He is both brother and father, leader and comrade. Some guys just get it on a deeper level, and you can feel it. Pavelski is that sort of player.
Dallas won’t collapse without him, because he’s built something too strong to crumble. The young players know how far they have to go, because of him, and the other veterans like Benn and Seguin now have a higher standard than ever before. And it’s one they *want* to achieve, because of Pavelski’s winsome way of going about his business, folding others into the team, making it clear what they are and are not here to do. I think Jamie Benn will carry that legacy with him for years to come.